An Unknown Engagement
by yumi-maki
Summary: Please, please tell me I'm dreaming, she prayed silently b4 turning around and cautiously opening her eyes. She let out a small shriek as she saw Gaara sitting in the bathtub, watching her with an amused expression and a smirk on his face. Read 2 find out
1. First Impressions

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 1**

**Spoilers - DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T REACHED SHIPPUDEN!!! Or you can just skip paragraph 1, I guess.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

The Kazekage's advisors had had their hands full with their current Kazekage. With him - the Godaime Kazekage, there were many obstacles for them to deal with - the fact that he was appointed at 15 and was therefore severely inexperienced in the political arena (after all his father had never groomed him to be his successor - thank Goodness), his abduction and the loss of his Biju (and by default - a great deal of his power which after years of hard, hard, _hard_ training, he'd managed to regain) as well as the unorthodox methods that he began developing as time went by.

However as the years rolled on Gaara grew into an extraordinary, if often stern leader who had brought the Village Hidden in the Sand back from the dredges that they had fallen into and had grown to be respected and even loved by his people. The one problem that persisted however with the young Kazekage was his (as they saw it) refusal to get married. They'd begun dropping hints when he turned 18, at 21 the hints had become requests and now at 24 they were practically begging him to tie the knot. Gaara's councillors never ceased to remind him that he needed an heir. Temari's wedding four years earlier as well as the birth of her son, Shikachu only a few months ago had only served to make them more anxious.

Gaara's councillors always managed to annoy him to no end but their insistence that he get married aggravated him more than anything. It wasn't as though Gaara didn't want to get married. He really did - he certainly didn't want to be alone for the rest of his life but he just hadn't found the right person. Kankurou had helped him a lot in the relationship area - explaining things he didn't understand, helping him find potential friends and even encouraging Gaara to go on a few dates. Temari had helped as well - he was always able to turn to her for advice when Kankurou was at a loss or when he was too embarassed to talk to his brother. However despite his siblings' help, Gaara was still unable to hold down a serious romantic relationship. Being Kazekage was a difficult and time - consuming job and he usually didn't get home until after 11 at night which certainly didn't leave much time for him to date. This however was just one of the many obstacles that stood in the way of his finding a wife.

This was why, when the ruling Raikage - the leader of the Village Hidden in the Clouds had approached him with a proposal to solidify their newly formed alliance by marrying his daughter to Gaara, he had seriously contemplated it and eventually consented. Needless to say that Gaara's councillors were over-joyed - soon their reclusive leader would be wed and hopefully the wedding would be followed by the birth of a strong son. Kankurou, shocked and more than a little concerned, had approached (read: cornered) Gaara for an explanation.

_"Gaara, what's going on? I thought you hated the idea of an arranged marriage. Why are you consenting now?"_

_Gaara had cited the political ramifications of his decision._

_Kankurou sighed and shook his head, "Gaara that's not what I'm talking about. I know all that. I'm talking about you personally. I thought you wanted to find your wife on your own. Why are you now suddenly willing to marry a girl you don't even know?!" _

_Gaara's eyes darkened as his thoughts did the same,_ 'I had hoped that the woman I married would be someone who would love me completely. Someone who I too had fallen in love with. Someone who I would care for more than anyone else. But it seems as though that is not to be.'

_However all he said to his brother was, "__I know that it is difficult to find love in an arranged marriage but I have to face the possibility that I am just not meant to find that kind of love. Regardless this is something that I must do."_

_Kankurou had studied him closely and realizing that Gaara had made his decision, he promised himself there that he would do whatever it took to help Gaara make this arranged marriage work. "Don't say that Gaara. Difficult isn't impossible after all."_

Gaara hadn't smiled but the sides of his mouth turned up slightly. His brother's short words had managed to placate him at the time but now that she was almost here, his nerves were acting up. Of course if you looked at the handsome 24 year old you wouldn't know that. Although he had learned to express his emotions better, his impassive facade was always in place when the occasion called for it (like in his council meetings or right now as he was about to meet the woman he was set to marry.)

There was another reason that Gaara was anxious - the Raikage had insisted on one condition concerning the marriage. He wanted his daughter to come to Suna and live with Gaara so that she could get to know him before the wedding. He said that he couldn't bear to have his daughter marry a stranger. He wanted her to be happy on her wedding day. This action had caused Gaara to respect the Raikage more than ever - his love for his daughter was obvious and Gaara felt honoured that the Raikage felt that he was suitable enough to marry his daughter.

The part of the condition that worried Gaara however was the Raikage's insistence that the marriage be kept a secret from his daughter until she returned to the Lightning Country after her indefinite stay with the Kazekage to get acquainted. The Raikage had been unwilling to reveal why he didn't want his daughter to know but Gaara had dismissed this because he had more important things to worry about...Like the blonde girl now walking towards the Suna walls.

Since she was the daughter of the Raikage (not to mention his future wife) Gaara had gone to meet her himself. Kankurou was there as well (for moral support he said) as well as Gaara's chief advisor Koumno (who was grinning from ear to ear). The time had arrived - she was walking up to the entrance to Sunagakure, right where he was standing. Gaara had to admit that he was more than a little nervous now that it was crunch time. But he was sure that he'd made the right decision, not only for himself but also for his country.

* * *

Yumi Saionji would never forget the first time she saw the Kazekage. She was nearing the end of one of the longest journeys she'd ever been on and she was dirty, hot and tired and wanted nothing more than to greet the Kazekage, go to her bed and pass out. 

It didn't help that her father had sent two escorts (read: body-guards) with her (as if she needed those - she was a kunoichi for Goodness sake! And a darn good one too) who'd been harassing her for the whole trip.

Things only got worse when she got to the Village Hidden in the Leaves (with which her father had also recently initiated an alliance) where she had been assigned another escort who turned out to be the Kazekage's sister. Temari, to Yumi, was an enigma - although she was friendly to her, Yumi couldn't help feeling that Temari didn't like her - she didn't know what it was but there was something in her demeanor that told her that it would be a long time before Temari's kindness to her would be truly genuine. When she heard that Temari had volunteered to be her escort, Yumi wondered if perhaps her brother had put her up to it - to find out about her. But just as quickly she had dismissed the thought, after all why would the Kazekage care about her? Yes she was the Raikage's daughter but she was just going to Suna as an ambassador of sorts. She was supposed to teach at their newly opened Academy and she was staying there indefinitely. So she was extremely surprised when she, Temari and her other escorts had walked up to the tremendous stone walls surrounding Sunagakure and the Kazekage himself was standing there waiting to meet her.

Yumi had never before met the Kazekage and all she had to go on was what she had heard from others (as well as a picture that Temari had shown her of her with her two brothers taken some years before) so when she saw him standing there resplendent in his blue and white Kage robes (with matching hat!), all she could think was that that picture definitely didn't do him justice. She had known that he was her age and she had heard that he was handsome but when she reached up to him and he looked down at her (because she was at least half a head shorter than he) revealing his ruby red hair and piercing, aquamarine eyes which were surprisingly stll ringed with black, she couldn't help the little gasp that escaped her lips. She didn't know it was possible for someone to be quite so good looking. Next to her, Temari smirked.

However she was a kunoichi and they were trained to keep their composure so she bowed deeply before him and his advisors and said, "Greetings Kazekage-sama. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance - I am deeply honoured that you met me personally. That really was not necessary."

Gaara nodded, inclining his head in a slight bow and thereby revealing more of his features to Yumi, (What is that on his forehead? A _scar_? Of the symbol for love? Wow.) "Greetings. It is a pleasure to meet you as well Saionji - san. I formally invite you as a guest into my village."

Yumi bowed again, "I am very grateful for your hospitality Kazekage - sama. In exchange I offer you my services as a kunoichi and I bring you sincere greetings from my father, the Raikage."

Gaara nodded and turned to his advisor, "See to their arrangements," he said gesturing to the other Cloud nin. Yumi watched as the body - guards followed Koumno into the village and then turned her attention back to the siblings.

She saw that Gaara had turned to Temari who was in the middle of a deep bow, "Hello Kazekage-sama."

She had expected Gaara's expression to soften but it remained neutral as ever, "It's good to see you again, Temari." Although Temari was still a liasion between Konoha and Suna, ever since her marriage to Shikamaru Nara, she didn't travel between the two countries quite as often (at least not often enough in her brothers' opinion).

To outsiders (and therefore to Yumi) this behaviour seemed strange - whenever she saw her brother, regardless of who was around, she launched herself at him usually nearly throwing him down in the process but here were these two, acting as formal as ever. If she had known them well, Yumi would have known that that behaviour was caused solely by her presence - Temari had always been adamant that she and Kankurou treat Gaara as his station expected in public (Kankurou, for his part, usually ignored that). Gaara understood her reasoning and therefore always obliged - treating them as though they were any other ninja.

Yumi was glad therefore when Kankurou broke the tension by saying, "So what? You're not gonna greet me?! I mean I can understand her, but my own sister! Come on Temari!"

Temari, stony composure gone, rolled her eyes before replying, "Sorry idiot. It's nice to see you too."

"Oh yeah - that's real nice. Is that how you greet your darling brother who you haven't seen in months?"

"Darling brother?! Ha - that's funny..." Gaara smiled slightly as his siblings began bickering as usual and then turned his gaze back to his future wife. She had medium - length blonde hair that was currently in two braids and striking, midnight blue eyes. Her clothes were simple - she was obviously dressed for combat but they fit her well and she managed to look graceful in them despite the fact that they were covered in sand and had slight tears where the desert winds had gotten to them.

Gaara frowned - for someone like her who was so unused to the desert climate, those clothes would not do and he made a mental note to have her given a new set by the next day. She was currently suppressing her laughter at his siblings' argument and he noted the way that her eyes were shining from her concealed amusement.

Feeling his eyes on her, she turned to him and her expression changed to one of surprise as she noted the intensity of his gaze. He saw this and turned away, saying as he did, "Saionji - san, you must be exhausted from your journey. I will inform you about the details of your stay here and then you will be allowed to relax for the evening. You will not begin your duties until tomorrow. Please follow me." With that, he turned and led the way into his city.

Yumi breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to be given time to recuperate and followed Gaara into Sunagakure. They were followed by Temari and Kankurou who brought up the rear, still quarrelling about who-knows-what.

**A/N: **Hiya! Well here's my Gaara/OC story. I hope you like it. I don't love this chapter, I feel that it could be a lot better but this will have to do for now. **CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS WELCOME (Flames are not.) so PLEASE REVIEW!!! **It's definitely gonna be a bit more dramatic and longer than my Kankurou story, Portrait. I don't think I'll be updating this one as fast either - I'm sorry in advance. Btw, for all of you who read Portrait, Scene 8 is the end for sure but I will try to incorporate some MichickoxKankurou accion in this story. I don't think you have to read Portrait to understand it though but if you want to read Portrait by all means please do! Thanks for reading.


	2. Protective! Temari Returns

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 2**

Yumi watched as Gaara settled into the chair behind his desk. Temari and Kankurou took up positions on either side of him. Seeing them side by side made their resemblances much more obvious. _"They really are related," _she thought absently. Then she focused on the red - head seated in front of her who had taken off his hat and set it on the table.

"Since I am sure that you need time to rest, I will be brief. Your duties will be to teach at the Academy. I have not yet decided the length of your stay so for now it will be indefinite. You will be staying in my personal residence..." Yumi didn't hear the rest of his instructions because she was more than a little surprised at this turn of events.

When she was sure that Gaara was done, she said, "Stay in your home, Kazekage - sama? I cannot do that - I do not want to impose on you and your family. Honestly I would be happy with any arrangements that you make for me."

"If that is true, then you should be more than pleased with these. You will stay in my home - it is decided. You will not be imposing on myself or my family members." From Gaara's tone, Yumi could tell that he had made up his mind and that arguing would be futile.

So instead she simply nodded, "Of course Kazekage - sama. I am truly grateful for your hospitality. I am sure that your accommodations will be more than fitting for me."

"Good. You are now dismissed - my siblings will take you to your accommodations." Yumi bowed deeply before leaving the room, closing the door behind her. When she was gone, Gaara relaxed and turned to look at his siblings who had moved to stand in front of him.

"So,' Kankurou started, "she seems nice...she's pretty too."

"Thank you Kankurou - I appreciate that but you've only just met her. Temari, you've spent some time with her - what do you think of her?"

"I don't think she's good enough for you."

"Oh come on Temari,' Kankurou said, chuckling, 'We already know that! You don't think any girl's good enough for Gaara. However you don't seem to care who I date," he mumbled quietly.

Not quiet enough to fool Temari though, "Kankurou, don't start ok? This isn't about you. Besides, you don't want to get me started on those trashy girls you used to date."

"Used to? You're lucky - for a second there I thought you were talking about Michiko."

Temari scoffed, "Of course I wasn't talking about Michiko! You and Michiko have been friends for years - honestly, she's the only girl I would trust around you...wait! What do you mean I'm _lucky_? And what exactly were you gonna do if I - ?"

Gaara interrupted Temari by clearing his throat, "You two are getting off the topic. Since Saionji - san is waiting for you, you will go and escort her to the house now and after you've dropped her off, you'll come back and we'll continue this conversation."

Kankurou and Temari nodded and began making their way to the door. "And Temari?" She stopped and turned to look back at him while Kankurou froze with his hand on the door, "I want to know what she's actually like."

Temari sighed and nodded, "Hai, Kazekage - sama." Kankurou opened the door and the brother and sister stepped out, leaving their youngest sibling to mull over his first impressions of his future wife.

* * *

Yumi was delighted to find out that the Kazekage's residence was only a short walk from the Academy which Kankurou pointed out to her on their way. She almost missed it as she was too busy, staring in awe at the immense, dome - shaped buildings that Suna was made up of. "These buildings are magnificent! I've never seen anything quite like them."

Kankurou looked back at Yumi and chuckled as he saw how she gaped at the buildings in Sunagakure._ 'It's a good thing that she likes the landscape. She's gonna be seeing it for a long time.'_

They continued walking and Yumi realized that they were now in a residential area as the buildings were wider and smaller than the ones she had seen before. They stopped in front of a building that looked very similar to the others around it. Yumi studied it - there were no outward signs that it was the home of the Kazekage, although she was sure that all of the people of Suna were well acquainted with the fact. It's location was very different from the home that she resided in in Kumogakure - the Village Hidden in the Clouds with her father and elder brother - their residence was smack dab in the middle of the city because her father had insisted that he live there in order to be near his people and besides, if he lived a stone's throw from his office, he would be easy to find if any pressing matters were to arise.

Temari pulled out a key and unlocked the door and they entered - Yumi darting in last, ecstatic to escape the scorching heat of the desert sun so soon. Once inside, she looked around at the place that she would be calling home for the next few months. They stepped through the foyer into a wide, spacious living room that she liked instantly - it had a cozy feel and she knew she would end up spending a lot of time there (Coincidentally, the living room happens to be the room that Gaara spends the least amount of time in.) There was a stair-case leading upstairs from the living room.

By the staircase, Kankurou turned to her, "We've got three floors. First floor's the kitchen, living room and dining room. Second floor's my bedroom, a bathroom and the bedroom that used to be Temari's. ("Excuse me! Last I checked it still belonged to me!") Sorry, Goodness - I mean Temari's bedroom for when she's visiting. Right and the top floor has the room that you'll be staying in which is the guest bedroom, another bathroom and Gaara's room."

Yumi nearly fainted - not only was she staying in the same house as the Kazekage but she was gonna be sharing a floor with him too! Seeing the expression on Yumi's face, Kankurou chuckled, "Don't worry. He doesn't spend much time here anyway. He practically lives at his office."

"Paperwork, huh?"

Kankurou laughed and nodded, "You hit the nail on the head! Come on - we'll show you to your room and then we've got to leave you. Gaara needs to see us."

Yumi nodded and followed Temari who led the way up to the third floor with Kankurou bringing up the rear. As he passed the door to his room, Kankurou was sure that he could detect a faint chakra signature coming from within it. He stopped and frowned - that could only mean that someone was in there and that that someone was a ninja. He focused on the chakra signature trying to pinpoint it but his concentration was interrupted by Temari. "Kankurou? What's wrong?"

He looked up to see that both women had stopped midway on the stairs and were staring at him, questioningly.

Kankurou smiled reassuringly and shook his head, "Nothing. I just remembered that I forgot something in my room. You show Yumi - san to her room while I get it." Temari studied him for a second before shrugging and starting back up the stairs.

Kankurou waited until his sister and Yumi were out of sight before opening the door to his room cautiously, gripping his scrolls tightly in case he needed to use them. When the door was fully open and light flooded the room, he made out a figure on the bed. Kankurou squinted - that figure looked awfully familiar.

He stepped into the room quietly and began inching towards the bed. When he got to the side of it, he was surprised when he recognized the figure lying there. "Michiko?"

She didn't move however (probably because she was fast asleep) and he sat down next to her on the bed. He stared down at his long time friend and girlfriend of four years, smiling fondly. '_This is certainly a pleasant surprise. But what's she doing here? I thought she wouldn't be back from her mission for two more days.' _

He rested a hand on her stomach and began making circular motions on it. After a few seconds, she fidgeted, then turned around to face him, opening her eyes to stare blearily at him. "Hey, she said quietly when she realized who it was.

"Hey. What are you doing here?"

"Huh? Oh my mission ended early and when I got back I was (yawn) so tired that I thought I was gonna pass out in the middle of the street. I knew I couldn't make it home so I opted to crash here. (This was punctuated by another yawn) You weren't home but I figured you wouldn't mind. After all coming home to find your girlfriend in your bed is like every guy's secret fantasy, right?" She laughed.

Kankurou smirked, "Give me some credit - my fantasies aren't that unoriginal. Usually they contain - "

"Kankurou!" She exclaimed as she sat up and mock - slapped him. "I don't want to know!"

"Hey. You brought it up - I'm just clarifying it for you."

Then he noticed a dark brown stain on his sheet where Michiko had been lying down. "Michiko, did you get injured on your mission?"

She looked up and her brows knit together, "Oh! We got attacked by bandits on the way back. I think one of the bandits cut me,' she answered as she rolled up her right sleeve. There was a gash across her shoulder - it wasn't very deep but it was encrusted with blood and Kankurou couldn't be sure but he thought that it was beginning to turn the lightest shade of green. (It wasn't really turning green but Kankurou convinced himself that that's what he was seeing.)

"Michiko - I told you you gotta stop ignoring your injuries like this. You're not a medic - you don't know if it could be serious," he said, the concern evident in his voice.

"Kankurou, relax!' she responded, laughing, 'This is not serious - it's just a cut. I'll clean it when I get home," she said as she got up from the bed and stretched again.

"It's cool - I'll do it for you. You need to learn to take better care of yourself."

Michiko smiled and leaned down, slipping her arms around his neck, "Well that's why I've got you! You always take care of me. I appreciate it. Thank you," she whispered before kissing him very lightly.

He grinned and slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her down on top of him, "I can think of another way you could thank me."

Before she could protest and push herself back up, he captured her lips in a kiss which was shaping up to be pretty enjoyable until they heard a cold, female voice say, "You forgot something, huh Kankurou?"

In a flash, Michiko was back on her feet and she was staring wide-eyed at the fellow kunoichi who was standing in the doorway, watching them coolly and fingering the deadly fan strapped to her back. "T - T - Temari - san! It's not what it looks like! Really!" She just barely managed to restrain herself from adding, 'Please don't kill me!'

Temari took a step towards Michiko and her eyes intensified into a glare and Michiko swore that she saw her life flash before her eyes (It never ceased to amaze Michiko how she could be totally unfazed by enemy shinobi but her boyfriend's sister always managed to terrify her), "What are you doing here Michiko?"

Michiko opened her mouth to answer but Kankurou interrupted her, "You don't have to explain anything to her."

"Kankurou,' Temari growled, turning her glare on her brother who,after having experienced it for years was completely unfazed, 'I am not talking to you. I will deal with _you_ later. Now Michiko, what were you going to say?"

"Ano, Temari-san, please don't be upset. I just returned from a mission and I was so tired that I didn't think that I'd be able to make it to my house so I decided to take a nap here. Kankurou didn't even know I was here until just now."

Michiko hoped that that would be enough to placate the deadly woman in front of her but Temari continued to glare at her, "You could have slept on the couch. Amazing how you weren't too tired to drag yourself up a whole fight of stairs."

Michiko gulped and nodded, "I'm sorry Temari - san. Next time I'll sleep on the couch for sure."

Temari glared for a few seconds more before relaxing. "Honestly Michiko - chan, it's a testament to how much I trust you that I'm going to walk away now." Michiko let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding. "Kankurou, Gaara's waiting for us," then she turned and continued on her way down the stairs.

Kankurou and Michiko looked at each other and Kankurou sighed, "Sorry about that. I don't know why she has to act that way," he said, still glaring after his sister.

"Don't worry - I'd be the same way if I had a little brother. Look I'm gonna head home, ok? I'll see you later."

"Ok later. Make sure to clean that cut properly," he said, watching as she picked up her bag from the ground and slung it over her left shoulder.

"Yes Daddy," she said, kissing him quickly before walking out of his room and heading down the stairs. When Michiko reached the bottom of the stairs, Temari was standing by the door. She managed to make it past Temari and was halfway out the door when Temari called her. She turned around, "Yes Temari - san?"

Temari looked her up and down once before saying, "Next time, you can use my room. Do _not_ let me catch you in my brother's room again. Girlfriend or not."

Michiko nodded firmly - glad to escape without feeling the wrath caused by Temari's protective big sister streak.

Kankurou came downstairs as Michiko turned the corner - he hadn't heard their conversation and so he glared at Temari. Temari noticed the fierce look and sighed, "Kankurou I'm only staying here for a month before I return to Konoha. So let's not fight. I don't want us to spend the month at each others' throats."

"You've got to apologize to Michiko."

Temari shrugged, "I already did." When Kankurou looked puzzled, she smirked and said, "It's true. Next time you see her, you can ask her yourself."

Kankurou shrugged, "Fine. Whatever - let's go." They took off and in five minutes, they were walking into Gaara's office. He looked up from his paperwork and glared at them but did not question the lateness. When Kankurou and Temari had taken seats in front of Gaara's desk, both men turned their gaze on their sister and said simultaneously, "So, what is she like?"

**A/N: **Ah - ha! Protective! Temari makes another appearance! Just for icecreamyluff! I hope you thought that this was funny - it was supposed to be. I hope that I didn't offend anyone's sensibilties - I didn't mean to. Rest assured - had Temari not interrupted nothing but a short, furious make - out session would have taken place. I am all for ABSTINENCE until marriage! And so is Michiko - chan. Btw, Michiko is my OC from my other fic **Portrait**. for anyone who read Portrait, yes I changed the spelling of Michicko's name to Michiko. That's actually the correct spelling - I hope it's not too weird for you. **PLEASE REVIEW!!! I really want your input! **Besides it would make me really happy and would motivate me to write faster. Thanks to all my reviewers, alerters and favouriters - I'm glad you like my story.


	3. An Embarrassing Morning

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 3**

Gaara stared out of the small port-hole -shaped window of his bathroom as the sun slowly began rising to its' summit over the Village Hidden in the Sand. There were two things he liked to do when he needed to think - when he was contemplating serious, political issues, he would go to the roof of the Kazekage building and look out at his city, spread out beneath him - this always helped him to focus on what was truly important as he watched his people go along on their daily business. However on days like today when he was thinking about personal matters, he would get up a little earlier than usual and draw a bath, then he would get in and amidst the steam rising from the hot water, he would sift through his thoughts and contemplate whatever was plaguing him.

On this particular day, his thoughts were about a cerain, fair-haired kunoichi who was currently curled up in her sheets, sleeping like the dead. He was beginning to think that agreeing to keep the engagement a secret from Yumi was a mistake. After all, wouldn't she wonder why he seemed so interested in her? Perhaps he should send word to her father, asking him to allow him to inform her about it? Then he shook his head, remembering how adamant her father had been about keeping his daughter in the dark for the duration of her stay. Gaara narrowed his eyes. Why was he so against his daughter finding out anyway? Gaara would have continued this train of thought had he not just then been interrupted by a familiar sound. The sound of a doorknob turning.

Gaara turned and watched as the door swung open and the very object of his thoughts walked in. Well walked may not be the best word - stumbled would probably be more apt. It was obvious that she was still for the most part asleep and he assumed that this was the reason that she did not notice him sitting in the tub. Gaara took in her appearance - her hair was in a mess and she was dressed in pajamas with - wait, what was that? Gaara narrowed his eyes, careful not to make any noise so as not to alert her to his presence. He smirked as he realized that the pattern on her pajamas was indeed made up of bunny rabbits. He wasn't sure if to think that that was cute or childish. Yumi's eyes were still half closed and she yawned as she made her way over to the toilet in the corner.

Gaara decided now would be an ideal time to alert her to his presence. He cleared his throat and then said in a voice that barely concealed his amusement, "Good morning Saionji-san." Yumi froze in mid-step and her eyes flew open before quickly shutting tightly again after she took in her environment. 'Please, _please_ tell me I'm dreaming,' she prayed silently before turning around and cautiously opening her eyes. She let out a small shriek as she saw Gaara sitting in the bathtub, watching her with an amused expression and a smirk on his face. She also realized that he was very, _very_ naked. She immediately turned back around, "K-Kazekage - sama. I'm so sorry! I didn't realize that you were in here. Please forgive me," she said quickly before rushing out of the room before Gaara could answer.

Gaara let a small chuckle escape his lips - he didn't know why but for some reason, he found this whole situation terribly amusing. Yumi, however, certainly didn't see it that way. She was too busy having a panic attack in her bedroom. _"I cannot _believe_ what just happened. This is so embarassing - how am I gonna face him now? I __**knew**__ my staying here was a bad idea. Goodness, now every time I look at him, I'm gonna see that and I'm gonna think of his hot, hot, hot, hot_, droolworthy _- Stop! Now is not the time." _Yumi continued in this vein for awhile until her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She froze again and turned slowly to look at the door. She knew it was him. She continued to stare at the door, debating whether or not to answer it when her thoughts were interrupted by Gaara's low voice, "Saionji-san. I know you're in there." Yumi shook her head, "_What am I doing? He must think I'm being totally immature._" She got up and quickly made her way over to the door and took a deep breath before opening it. Gaara stood before her, the smirk still firmly in place.

"Good morning Kazekage - sama. I am sorry for taking so long to answer."

"It's fine. I just wanted to make sure that this will not cause any awkwardness between us."

Yumi shook her head, "No, of course not, Kazekage - sama. I hope that you are not upset with me."

Gaara frowned at the term of address. It would not do for her to be so formal with him all the time. "No. Why would I be? I am unused to sharing this bathroom with others - I will simply be sure to remember to lock the door next time."

Yumi smiled and nodded, "That's a good idea."

"And Saionji-san?"

"Yes, Kazekage - sama?"

"It is not necessary for you to be so formal with me now. When we are not in public, you do not have to address me by my title."

Yumi's eyebrows furrowed and she looked puzzled, "Are you sure Kazekage - uh - Gaara-sama? Would that be appropriate?"

"I don't see why it wouldn't."

The puzzled look disappeared and she brightened up immediately, "Well in that case, I would appreciate it if you called me by my first name. No one ever calls me Saionji - san at home."

Gaara nodded, "If that's what you want. Yumi - san it is."

Yumi smiled and bowed slightly, "Well I'm sure that you have to go get ready now and since the bathroom's free, I think I'll go for my bath now. I'm glad that we were able to straighten things out."

Gaara nodded to her, "You are right. I will take my leave of you now. Good - bye Yumi - san."

"Good - bye, " she responded before closing the door.

* * *

Yumi showered (taking care to lock the door) and dressed hurriedly, relieved that that ordeal was over with. Until she walked into the kitchen that is and Kankurou, who had been eating toast, looked up, grinning and said, "So it sounds like you had an eventful morning." Yumi cringed, knowing immediately that he wasn't going to let her forget about it.

* * *

**A/N: **Now you see where the summary came from. I hope you like it - please let me know whether or not you think it's funny. I'm really sorry it's so short. **PLEASE REVIEW!!! **I was going to add some more to this but I was getting some trouble writing it. Don't worry - it's not writer's block. I think I was just forcing it. Well anyway I'll try to update sooner from now on. I'm sorry for making you wait. Thanks to all my reviewers, favouriters and alerters! I'm glad you liked it. There's gonna be a little surprise in the next chapter. Now **CLICK THE PURPLE BUTTON **- you know you want to!!! 


	4. Getting To Know You Part I

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 4**

Gaara opened the door of his home and entered slowly. As he neared the living room, he heard murmuring and peeked in. What he saw was Michiko and Kankurou seated on the couch - her head was on his chest and he had his arms wrapped around her. They were talking quietly and Gaara suddenly felt a pang of envy. He looked at the stairs and wondered whether or not he would ever be that intimate with Yumi. Not wanting to disturb his brother and Michiko, he continued past the living room and started up the stairs, sighing as he wondered how exactly he was going to make this arranged marriage work out.

"Hard day at work?"

Gaara paused midway up the first flight of stairs and saw Yumi standing at the top of the staircase - what surprised him was the genuine concern in her voice. "No. Why do you ask?"

"I just heard you sighing. Is nothing wrong then?"

Gaara shook his head as he continued up the stairs. When he reached the first floor and was standing next to Yumi, he said, "Everything is fine. How are you though? I hope the students weren't too much trouble."

Yumi smiled, "Oh no. Actually your students are much better behaved than the ones back home. I only had one prank played on me today and for a new teacher, that's pretty good."

Gaara frowned, "A prank? And that's common?"

"Oh yeah. When I taught back home, I had at least four pranks played on me every day for my whole first week. It's okay though - I knew who the culprit was and I dealt with him so most likely there won't be any more from now on."

Gaara wondered absently what exactly Yumi had done and was about to ask when Yumi said, "So is Temari - san downstairs?"

"No. She's still at the office. She told me to go on ahead and that she'd finish up."

"Oh! So you mean if she wasn't helping you, you would have gotten home even later?"

Gaara nodded, "I get home around eleven most days. On very busy days, I might come home about one o'clock or I might even end up sleeping at the office. " He felt uneasy as he told her that - after all when he worked those kinds of hours, when would he have time for her?

Yumi frowned and furrowed her eyebrows, "Alright," she said quietly. _'I don't like the sound of that,' _she thought, _'Father always manages to get home earlier than that. I wonder if - ' _Gaara interrupted her, "Yumi - san?"

She looked up startled, "Yes Gaara - sama?"

"I asked you where you were going."

"Oh I'm sorry - I didn't hear you. I was going to get something to eat. Are you hungry? I can make you something." She leaned towards him and whispered conspiratorially, "Little known fact - I'm actually a pretty good cook."

Gaara's eyes widened slightly as she moved forward and he started to feel a little flustered, "Sure. Yes I - I'll eat something."

"Ah okay, great! What would you like to eat?" Yumi asked as she started down the stairs.

Gaara took a deep breath before following her. Although he had gone on a few dates, they'd never really led anywhere and thus he was quite unused to being in such close proximity to a woman that wasn't his sister. "Anything is fine. What are you having?"

Yumi shrugged, "Honestly I don't really know what I feel for either. We can just decide when we see what you've got I guess."

"OK."

By then they were at the door to the kitchen but to Gaara's immense surprise instead of walking in, Yumi stopped dead.

"Yumi - san?" Gaara asked questioningly. All he got in reply was a strange, high - pitched noise that sounded a lot like 'Meep!'.

She was staring at something in the kitchen and he followed her gaze to see what it was that had her paralyzed.

And saw what she considered to be one of the most fearsome creatures ever created...**a cockroach**.

**A/N: **Hi! I'm sorry that this is so short but I felt really bad about taking so long to update. I've actually had this scene on my comp for awhile cuz I was supposed to do add more but that's going to be Chapter 5 now. **PLEASE REVIEW!!!! **Let me know what you think of this. It's just supposed to be a little funny anecdote until I write the next scene. I already know what's going in it so I hope to update much sooner. I'm SO sorry that I'm going so slowly. I've been working on the Epilogue for this story all week instead of on finishing Chapter 4 - please don't kill me. I'M VERY SORRY! Oh! And about the surprise, it'll be in the next chapter instead.

Thanks for reading and thanks to all my reviewers, alerters and favouriters! I'm really glad you like the way that the story's progressing. **Maki **


	5. I Only Do It Because I Care

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 5**

**Dedicated to my faithful beta, Desi**

Two and a half hours after Gaara left her, Temari exited the Kazekage's office, sighing as she did. She had forgotten how much work Gaara had, not to mention what excruciatingly dull work it was. She really did pity her little brother at times.

She smiled as the first blast of cold air hit her - although she did not regret for an instant her decision to leave Suna to live in Konoha with her husband, there were some days that she really missed her village and of course every day she missed her brothers. No matter how long she lived in Konoha and how much she came to love its' people and its' atmosphere, Suna would always be home. She wondered absently what her lazy husband and her little bundle of joy were doing at the moment.

The thought of her husband caused her mind to return to what had taken place in Gaara's office the previous evening after she had caught Kankurou and Michiko in his room.

After her brothers had grilled her for all the information she had picked up on Saionji - san in the five days that she had spent with her, Kankurou had cleared his throat and said, "It's a good thing you're here Temari because I've sort of got some news for you two."

Temari furrowed her eyebrows, _'What could be so important that Kankurou had to tell both of them?'_ She shot a glance at Gaara who shrugged. They both turned to look back at the middle Sand sibling.

When Kankurou was sure that he had his siblings' full attention, he took a deep breath and looked at them, "I've been thinking...about, um, asking Michiko to marry me." Then he looked from one to the other, studying their reactions carefully. Gaara had a look of mild surprise on his face while Temari looked absolutely stunned.

Gaara was naturally the first to recover, "That's good Kankurou - nii -san. I am happy for you and Michiko - san."

The corner of Kankurou's mouth curled up into a smile, "Thanks Gaara but don't get ahead of yourself. I said thinking for a reason."

Gaara cocked his head to the side in a quizzical manner, "What's there to think about?"

"Well you know marriage is a big, BIG thing. It's not like dating. I mean some people have a great relationship and then they get married and it all goes down the toilet." It did not occur to Kankurou that this might be a poor choice of words considering his brother's current situation.

Gaara nodded, wearing an expression that clearly said that this information was new to him. He wondered exactly what marriage would do to whatever relationship he and Yumi would have by the time their nuptials rolled around. "I don't think that will happen to you though. After all if you and Michiko - san were able to put up with each other for such a long time, I don't see why marriage would be a problem for you."

Kankurou smiled and rolled his eyes, "Thanks, I guess."

He then realized that Temari had yet to say anything and he turned his gaze on his sister, "Temari? Don't you have anything to say?"

Temari was still wearing that shocked expression, "Wow Kankurou, I just - I didn't think that you would get married so soon. Actually I didn't think you'd get married at all but wow I mean isn't it a bit early for all that?"

In lieu of commenting on her disbelief at him even contemplating marriage, Kankurou said, "Early? Temari, I'm twenty - six. How old do you think I should be - sixty? Besides you were younger than me when _you_ got married."

Temari scowled at her brother, "That's not what I mean. I just want to know if you think you're really ready for this. And what about Michiko - chan? Have you two even talked about marriage...at all?"

Temari could practically see Kankurou going on the defensive as she spoke, "Yes we have talked about it. I mean not to the point where she expects that I'm gonna propose or anything but I know her opinion on the whole thing. And the reason I'm still thinking about it is because I'm not sure if I'm ready yet. That's why I'm telling you two. I want to know what you think."

"Well what are you getting so upset for? I _am_ telling you what I think."

"Which is what? That I'm not ready and maybe I should never get married?"

"Kankurou you know that's not what I mean. I just think that you should wait a little bit longer. I don't know if you're ready for this - you just said that marriage is a big thing and it is! I'm married - I should know!"

Kankurou didn't respond, instead he just sat back and glowered at the wall for a few minutes. Gaara looked from one sibling to the next - this wasn't one of their usual squabbles and he wasn't quite sure how it was going to end.

"Kankurou I - "

"It's ok. I understand. I'll wait." Regardless of what he said, Temari knew he was still upset but she kept silent. This really was an important decision and if he wanted her advice, then she'd have to take some time to think about it.

"Gaara," she said as she turned to him, "I'm tired. May I be dismissed?" Gaara nodded, still glancing between the two, "Of course." That was all she needed to hear before she walked out without sparing Kankurou another glance.

* * *

Temari sighed as she rounded the corner of the street that led to the Kazekage's residence. She really hadn't meant to upset Kankurou. She _was_ happy for him. She really was but a part of her was angry about this whole thing too. Even though she wanted to believe that she was all for this engagement (if it happened), she couldn't help but feel as though she was being replaced. Kankurou was her little brother and she had protected him for as long as she could remember. But now if he and Michiko got married, he would confide in Michiko and he wouldn't need her anymore. 

She sighed again, knowing that this train of thought was selfish and unfair. After all how could she talk about feeling abandoned when she had moved to another village after she had gotten married? And during that time (granted Kankurou hadn't been too supportive of her relationship with Shikamaru at first), he had never complained. He (and Gaara) had actually encouraged her to go because they wanted her to be happy.

A wave of shame washed over Temari as she reached the front door of the house. Although what she had said the day before _had_ been partly out of concern, she knew that a part of her just wanted to keep Kankurou to herself. A part of her would always want him to need her like he had when they were younger, when he would come to her room in the middle of the night and snuggle up next to her because he didn't want to be alone. If he was married, he wouldn't be alone...and he wouldn't need her anymore either.

By now, Temari was taking off her shoes in the foyer and started to make her way to the staircase when something in the living room caught her eye. Kankurou was lying on the couch with his head resting in Michiko's lap. They were laughing about something and she noted how candid and genuine he was acting. It had not taken long for he and Michiko to become close friends and he always seemed relaxed when he was around her. Temari looked away, so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice when Kankurou's eyes flickered to the doorway.

"Hey Michiko, can you go home? I wanted to spend more time with you tonight but - "

"It's ok,' Michiko said, shaking her head. She had also noticed Temari at the door and the pained look that had crossed Kankurou's face when he spotted her had not escaped her attention either. "I'm kinda tired anyway. Good night," she said as she leaned down to kiss him.

After the kiss, he got up and pulled her to her feet, "Get home safe, alright?"

She nodded. "See you later," Michiko said as she left the room and let herself out. Kankurou watched her go before exiting the living room as well.

Temari had just placed her fan on the floor next to her bed and was about to fall back on the bed when there was a knock on her door. She didn't even have to ask who it was, "Come in Kankurou."

The door opened slightly and she watched her brother step in and close it behind him. An awkward silence ensued as the two of them just stood there, staring at anything but each other. Eventually after five excruciating minutes, Temari broke the silence by saying, "Well what do you want Kankurou? I'm tired," as she sat down heavily on the bed.

Kankurou mimicked her actions before looking her straight in the eyes and saying, "Do you have a problem with Michiko, Temari?"

"No, Kankurou I don't. I,' she took a deep breath, 'I like Michiko - chan. You know that."

"Then why are you against this?"

"I'm not against it. To tell the truth, I guess some part of me always knew you two would end up together. But even though I knew, it was still a shock to hear _you_ talk about getting married. I mean, you're my little brother, you know?"

"Yeah but I'm an adult too," he responded matter-of-factly.

She looked away, nodding, a melancholy air about her, "Yeah. I'm starting to realize that."

He considered her for a little while, then ventured to ask, "So you're okay with the whole thing?"

"Yeah. I mean Michiko - she's good for you and well, if you really love her then..." She trailed off but kept her eyes firmly locked with her brother's.

"And what you said before - about me not being ready, did you mean that?"

"I don't know - only you can decide that. But, for what it's worth, I don't think you'd be thinking seriously about it if you weren't."

"Thanks sis," he said, reaching over and patting her shoulder in a half- hearted attempt at a hug.

Temari wanted to roll her eyes and pull him into a _real_ hug but she had to find out something first, "Kankurou?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you even care what I think?"

Kankurou moved back and looked at her, surprised, "_Why?_ What kind of question is that? You're my sister - what other reason do I need?" When Temari still looked sceptical, Kankurou looked down, obviously uncomfortable and mumbled, "I don't know - I guess I just want your approval or something."

Temari studied her younger brother for a few minutes before letting a little smile play on her lips. She supposed that that would have to suffice. "Well you have it," she responded quietly, moving closer and nudging him slightly.

He smiled back at her, a little shyly, "Thanks Tem."

She nodded, then her eyes lit up mischievously, "Hey! I just had a great idea!"

"What is it?"

"You and Gaara can have a joint wedding!" Temari said before bursting out laughing at the expression on Kankurou's face.

**A/N: **Please don't curse me out for not continuing the cockroach scene - I will in the next chapter. See - a faster update just like I promised! **PLEASE REVIEW!!! **I hope you liked the surprise. Tell me what you think. My beta said that I need to tone down Tema's actions around Kanky and Michiko - don't worry from now on, she **will** be nicer. I didn't want to make her mean - I'm hoping that this chapter really explains her feelings. Thanks to all my readers, favouriters, reviewers and alerters! I hope this chapter was to your liking. Reviews are love and suggestions are welcome! Thanks. Maki


	6. Getting To Know You Part II

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 6**

Gaara and Yumi sat in the kitchen of the Kazekage's residence, silently eating instant ramen.

After the cockroach had been disposed of (by Gaara of course because Yumi had refused to move from her position until it had been killed), Yumi had certainly not been inclined to go poking around any cupboards where more of the creepy critters could be hiding so instead of cooking as she had promised, she simply stuck her hand into the nearest cupboard and pulled out the first thing her hands landed on, which just so happened to be a pack of instant ramen.

Which is why exactly six minutes and twenty seconds later, the two were seated on stools in the kitchen - Gaara alternating his gaze between his ramen and the perplexing female seated on the stool across from his and Yumi with her eyes planted firmly on her miso ramen, a dejected, embarassed air about her.

Gaara wanted to ask her about the whole thing but considering the way she was avoiding eye contact, he doubted that she would want to talk about it.

She proved him wrong however when she said quietly, "I'm sorry about the way I acted. It's...a phobia, that's all. Just something that's stuck with me since I was a kid."

Gaara took in what she said and nodded, "I understand."

"Well thanks for not laughing. I am sorry though! I will cook for you sometime," she said, surprising Gaara with how forcefully she said it.

"Do you often cook?"

"Hmm...Usually just on special occasions like my brother's or my father's birthdays. My mom taught me. After she passed away, we got a cook but I still like to whip something up once in awhile."

Gaara frowned when he heard her say 'passed away' - he hated euphemisms. He couldn't understand why people couldn't just come right out and say what they meant. Things like euphemisms and metaphors had been very difficult for him to understand at first and he had developed a great dislike for them. Being a man of few words, if he had to say something, he always made sure to say exactly what he meant.

"Ano, Gaara - sama?"

He looked up at her and nodded curtly as a sign to continue.

"I was wondering, "she started, her voice surprisingly low, "who is that woman with your brother? They were in the living room when I got back but I didn't go in because I didn't want to disturb them."

"That is Shiraishi Michiko - san, Kankurou's girlfriend."

"Oh, I figured as much. Is she a kunoichi?"

Gaara nodded.

"Hmm..." Yumi said, her face taking on a thoughtful expression.

Wondering what it was she was thinking about, Gaara said, "Is something the matter?"

Yumi looked up at him, surprised, "Uh no. It's just that...I always thought that it must be difficult for two shinobi to have a relationship, you know, having to juggle missions and things like that. They must not get a lot of time to see each other." Gaara frowned - this comment sounded rather cryptic to his ears.

Now Gaara turned thoughtful, "Well they seemed to have worked something out. Besides, Kankurou and Michiko - san have known each other for quite some time so it is not as though they need time to get acquainted."

"I suppose you're right," Yumi responded, stealing a glance at Gaara. It felt a little strange to her to be speaking so casually with the Kazekage. She honestly hadn't expected to even _see_ him that much during her trip here. She figured she would meet him on her first day, then probably report to him periodically to inform him about the Academy's progress but now here she was, sitting in his kitchen, eating ramen and it was only her second day here. She wondered absently what her brother would think.

There was a short pause while Gaara mulled over Yumi's previous statements. Suddenly something occurred to him and he said, "Does that mean then, Yumi - san, that you have not been involved in a relationship with any other shinobi?"

Yumi shook her head, laughing (Gaara was sure that he detected a hint of bitterness in that laugh), "Actually I haven't been involved with _anyone_." Yumi's eyes widened in mortification as she realized what she had just said. '_I cannot believe that I'm giving out details of my personal life to _the Kazekage_! Why can't I ever keep my mouth shut?!' _Yumi would have started beating herself up about it had a little voice in the back of her head not said, '_But...he asked about it, didn't he?' _

Yumi narrowed her eyes slightly, _'That's true_,' she thought as she stole another glance at Gaara, _'Why does he want to know about that anyway? You know if I didn't know better, I'd say he was - Stop right there! What am I thinking?! This is after all my first real conversation with the man - perhaps he just wants to make me feel more comfortable. Yes that's it - he just wants me to feel more welcome considering that I'm gonna be staying with him for awhile." _She nodded firmly as if for affirmation.

Gaara, on the other hand, was thinking about this interesting turn of events. After all if she had never been in a relationship with anyone, it must mean that she was just as, if not more, inexperienced than he. Gaara couldn't help feeling a bit relieved - perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all.

Yumi broke the silence with, "Ano, Kazekage - sama," Gaara frowned - why had she reverted to using his title? "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said all that. I have never been great at the whole political etiquette thing."

Gaara narrowed his eyes questioningly, "You seemed quite adept at handling yourself yesterday."

Yumi smiled wryly, "Ah well that's the thing, I'm alright for short periods of time but if I have to keep it up constantly like at a meeting or a dinner or something, I usually end up forgetting myself and saying something untoward like just now. Actually that's why I was reluctant to stay here because I was afraid that I would make a mistake and say or do something inappropriate."

Gaara nodded, "Like this morning?" He added 'helpfully', unable to completely suppress the smirk threatening to form on his face.

Yumi looked away but not quickly enough to stop Gaara from seeing the light blush that stained her cheeks, "Yes. Exactly. Anyway," She shook her head firmly as if to rid herself of the blush (or perhaps of the thoughts that had accompanied it), "Now that you know all that, I ask that you please forgive me if I overstep my boundaries. It would definitely be unintentional."

Gaara nodded, still smirking slightly - the irony of the situation was not lost on him, "I understand Yumi - san. Please do not concern yourself about it."

Yumi smiled warmly, then looked down at her bowl, "Oh! I'm finished. So I guess I'll just wash this and go back upstairs then. Are you done? I'll wash it for you."

Gaara didn't have to look down to check - he had finished his ramen halfway through the conversation. "That will not be necessary. I will take care of the wares. You are my guest Yumi - san. Please allow me to wash up." Normally Gaara would never volunteer to do house-work but he felt as though that was the right thing to do at the moment.

Yumi hesitated for a second before handing him the bowl, "OK. Thank you Gaara - sama. It was a pleasure eating with you." After a slight bow, she retreated upstairs.

Gaara stared after her, thinking that she was actually very good at the 'political etiquette thing' as she put it. _'An interesting woman, that Yumi_,' Gaara thought as he turned to the sink to start washing up. He certainly hoped that this wasn't foreshadowing their married life.

**A/N: **Hi hi!!! Sorry that this chapter is a bit late - I was having some trouble getting ideas for this convo. Anyway I hope this chapter was informative and entertaining. All you have to do to let me know of course is to **click that little review button down below**!!! Thanks to all of my reviewers, favouriters and alerters! I was really, really pleased that so many of you liked Chapter 5 and got what I was trying to convey. Until the next update, bye bye and thanks for reading. Maki

Btw, in case any of you were wondering, Yumi has been on dates - she's just never had a serious relationship. Just a little clarification.


	7. Kids These Days

Whoever can guess what anime I was watching while writing this chapter gets the next one dedicated to them!

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 7**

Gaara stepped out into the bright sunshine in the street and immediately started to feel the scorching heat of the midday sun. The streets were mostly deserted at this time of day due to the sweltering heat and although Gaara would usually stay inside at this time himself, he had to step outside because he was seriously contemplating setting fire to his paperwork which in his opinion was always a good sign that he needed some fresh air.

Since it was close to lunch time, he decided to go to a restaurant to get something to eat. He contemplated where to go for lunch and eventually settled on a restaurant that was a little way away from his office. It occurred to him as he started in the direction of the restaurant that he would have to pass right by the Academy to get there and he wondered if Yumi was there or if she had returned to his residence for the duration of the midday break.

He assumed that she had stayed at the Academy because she was a foreigner and therefore still getting acclimatised to Suna and it was unlikely that she would choose to make that trip, short though it was, and be forced to endure the desert's heat.

For a second and _just_ for a second, he even considered going to her and asking her to dine with him but he thought better of it. After all, he preferred his privacy and wouldn't she get suspicious if he, the Kazekage personally sought her out for lunch? It seemed a little odd even to him.

Ten minutes later, Gaara was passing by the Academy. He glanced over to the building and saw that there were still a few children playing outside. He stopped walking however when he noticed something happening on the side of the building that housed the Academy. He squinted and recognized three children - two boys and a little girl were huddled in a corner. They were far removed from the other children and Gaara was sure that the other kids did not even know what was happening.

Deciding to do some further investigation, Gaara moved close enough so that he was within earshot but too far for the children to notice him. The boys appeared to be about nine while the girl looked much younger, about five. One of the boys was standing up a little away from the girl holding a kunai to something. Gaara squinted again and realized that the object was a teddy bear. His eyes widened and anger started building in his chest when he heard the boy's taunting words, "Say good - bye to your teddy 'cause soon he's gonna be nothin' but a pile of fluff."

The little girl tried to grab the teddy bear from the boy's hands but the other boy held her back, "No! Please leave my teddy bear alone." Gaara scowled and clenched his hands - he couldn't let this happen. He started towards them again - this time fully intending to stop the boys and give the little girl her bear back when someone said, "Renji! What are you doing?! Akito! Let go of her right now!"

The second boy, Akito let go of the little girl and stepped away from her while Renji, the boy who had been holding the kunai and the bear quickly put his hands behind his back as he turned to face his teacher, "Yumi - sensei! I - I - we weren't doing anything."

"Oh really?" Yumi said as she marched up to Renji and pulled his arms forward, revealing the bear and the kunai which he dropped immediately as though they were on fire. "Well then what were you doing with those?"

"I - I, um, we were just playin'."

Gaara watched curiously as Yumi tightened her grip on Renji's hand and suddenly his face contorted in pain, "Ow! Yumi - sensei, that hurts!"

Yumi narrowed her eyes at the boy, "Listen you - what you were doing just now was not a game and I will not tolerate this kind of behaviour. From day one, I realized you were a troublemaker and now you're dragging other people into it! Get inside both of you!" she said as she turned her gaze to the other boy after letting go of Renji. Both boys turned and ran into the Academy building.

Yumi sighed deeply and then turned to the little girl whose name Gaara still didn't know. Yumi knelt down in front of her and moved her hair away from her face, "Hime - chan, are you alright? Did they hurt you?" The little girl nodded and pointed to her knee where there was a bleeding cut. Gaara flinched and clenched his hands tighter at the sight of the blood but did not move otherwise.

Yumi sighed again, "Alright close your eyes now, Orihime - chan." Orihime obeyed Yumi and Gaara watched, surprised when he saw Yumi do a few quick hand seals before she passed a hand, surrounded by green healing chakra over the cut, healing it immediately. "Ok, open your eyes. See! You're fine now."

Orihime smiled brightly and stood up, "Thank you Yumi - sensei!"

"No problem little one," Yumi responded as she ruffled the girl's hair, "Now go and play with the other kids, ok? And I'll make sure that those boys don't bother you again."

"Ok!" Orihime exclaimed as she picked up her teddy bear and ran off to join the other kids in a game of Hide and Seek.

Gaara watched as Orihime ran past him, then turned his gaze back to Yumi who was bent over picking up the fallen kunai. As she straightened up, her eyes met his and she nearly dropped the kunai again. "Kazekage - sama! Oh my gosh, I didn't see you there. Did you see that whole thing?" She asked, looking decidedly nervous.

Gaara nodded and moved to Yumi's side, "Yes. I was about to stop them myself when you emerged from the back."

Yumi bit her lip, "Oh." Another sigh escaped her, "Man, that's the second time I've had to stop an incident like that and both times Renji-kun was involved. Gosh that little boy's got a mean streak the size of the Wind Country."

Gaara nodded, "What did you do to him last time?"

Yumi started at the question and looked away, "Um, well I just gave him a stern talking-to." When Gaara continued to stare at her, she sighed and continued, "Please don't be upset but I just zapped him. Just once though! It really isn't all that painful."

Gaara frowned in puzzlement, "Zapped him? I do not understand."

Yumi sighed, then unexpectedly she poked Gaara. Well to any passerby, it would've looked as though she poked him but Gaara realized when he felt an electric shock run through his body that she had done something more. He looked up at her, confusion in his eyes, "What did you do just now?"

Yumi looked down as though she was embarrassed, "Ok. Well when I get upset sometimes, my chakra comes out of my fingertips in the form of a lightning bolt. It's something I can control but at times, it reacts to my emotions and therefore happens involuntarily. I can change the amount of chakra I put into it which of course changes the effects of the shock."

"And what I felt just now?"

"That was it in its' simplest form. It's pretty much harmless and that's the amount of chakra that escapes when it happens involuntarily."

Gaara nodded, taking it all in, "So you did that to this boy Renji?"

Yumi bit her lip again, "Not on purpose. I was scolding him after I found him trying to set fire to a girl's _hair_ and I got so upset with him (because before he got zapped, he was really quite cheeky) that I accidentally shocked him when I moved to wring his ear. Please don't be upset Kazekage-sama - it really was an accident. I would never do that to a child, no matter how undisclipined!"

Gaara studied her as she was speaking and heard the sincerity in her tone so when she was done, he simply nodded firmly and said, "It is alright Saionji-san. If that child is as much a troublemaker as you say, then perhaps he may need a little shock once in awhile. Just to keep him in check," he finished this statement with the slightest of smirks gracing his handsome face.

Yumi cocked her head in confusion, then he watched as a smile found it's way onto her face, "Well if you insist Kazekage - sama."

Then Gaara asked the next thing on his mind, "I didn't know that you were a medic nin, Saionji - san."

Yumi looked surprised, then shook her head, "Oh I'm not. In Lightning Country, every ninja is taught the basics of medical ninjutsu so that in the heat of battle, we can heal ourselves or our comrades. We may not be able to heal a major wound completely but it may be enough to save the person's life."

Gaara nodded, grateful that he had seen this episode if only so that he could get this interesting tidbit of information. He wondered if that were something that he could implement in Suna - he would have to think further about it but it definitely seemed like a good idea.

Yumi could practically see the wheels turning in Gaara's brain as he went into full Kazekage mode. She sighed - she'd seen her father do it a million times - you say one word to the man and he just goes off. She knew if she wanted him to pay attention to her, she'd have to stop him now before he became totally business-minded.

"Kazekage - sama?"

Gaara looked back at her, "Yes?"

"Where were you headed?"

"I was going to have lunch at a restaurant down the street. Would you care to join me?"

Yumi smiled but shook her head, "I would like to but remember I've got to go deal with those troublemakers. Besides it's just me and another teacher here supervising the kids who stayed behind so I can't leave. It would've been nice though - can I take a raincheck?"

Gaara frowned, "A...raincheck?"

"Oh! I suppose you wouldn't have that expression here. It's just an expression used in a situation like this - when someone asks you to do something and you can't but you offer to postpone it. The raincheck is like a promise that you'll do it instead on another day."

Gaara nodded, "Understood. In that case, I must go. Good-bye Saionji-san," Gaara said, inclining his head at her.

She bowed back, "Good day Kazekage-sama." Then Yumi watched as he turned and walked away.

She was so busy staring at him that she did not sense when another person came up beside her until, "Gaara-sama's really good-looking, ne?"

"You got that right," Yumi said immediately. Then she clapped her hand over her mouth in mortification when she realized what she had just said.

"Don't feel bad!" The chuunin instructor, Yuko who had stayed behind to help supervise the kids with Yumi said reassuringly, "Everyone thinks so. He has his own fan club, you know."

"Really? Are you a member?"

"No! But I've got friends who are. Gosh there is gonna be such a riot when that man gets married. All of those poor girls in his fan club really believe that they're going to be the next Lady Kazekage."

Yumi smiled sympathetically, "Wow. My brother would kill for a fan club. Anyway I've got to go deal with Renji and Akito. You stay here and watch the kids who are outside."

"Yes Yumi-sempai," Yuko responded as Yumi began making her way into the Academy building, feeling grateful that Yuko had not seen her speaking with the Kazekage. Goodness knows what she would have made of that! She might have ended up hunted down by Gaara's fangirls.

**A/n: **Another one done - yay! A faster update...in honour of the fact that I'm going away for awhile and I don't know how much computer access I'll have then so I'm not sure how often I'll be updating. I'm really sorry in advance but no se preocupen, I've already written the plot outline and a lot of the key moments in the story already so hopefully I'll finish this fic by the time school starts back. I'm still open to suggestions though! Btw, I hope y'all don't think I'm demented because of the teddy bear incident - I just needed something bad and I wanted to use a teddy bear cuz Gaa-kun used to own one. And I'm not japanese so if my honorifics are out of wack, feel free to tell me. I hope this chapter was to your liking. Thanks for reading!

Thanks to all my reviewers, favouriters and alerters as always. Maki


	8. No Pain, No Gain

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 8**

**Dedicated to ****Lady.Gatorade, ****KankurouFangirl and ****toboeskayou**

**Inspired by a head - ache**

Yumi sighed as her hand came to rest on the handle of the medicine cabinet. She was trying desperately to shake the guilty feeling that seemed to be lodged permanently in the pit of her stomach. She knew that there was no reason for her to feel guilty – she wasn't snooping. She was going to look through the cabinet to see if they had any head – ache medication and since she was currently the sole occupant of the house, she had no choice but to look for it herself.

As if to reinforce her point, the mirror in front of the medicine cabinet suddenly reflected a shaft of moonlight, aggravating her already pounding head. Yumi had been experiencing a niggling feeling in the back of her head since around lunchtime that day and that sensation had now morphed into a full - blown migraine.

Regardless of all that however, she still didn't feel right rifling through the medicine cabinet of people that she had only known for three and a half weeks. Nonetheless the pain really was starting to get to her and so after taking a deep breath, she quickly pulled open the door of the medicine chest to find that it was…empty.

"It's empty?" Yumi said, staring at the contents or lack thereof, of the medicine cabinet quizzically, "Don't these people get sick?"

She sighed again as she closed the door of the medicine cabinet, berating herself for wasting so much time agonizing over her decision to look in there and nearly had a heart attack when she saw Gaara leaning against the doorframe, watching her coolly through the mirror.

"Gaara – sama! I – I didn't see you there." '_How did I not sense him before?_' Yumi thought as Gaara's chakra practically overwhelmed her, _'He must have been concealing his chakra.'_

She had no time to wonder why however because just then Gaara addressed her, "What are you doing Yumi – san?"

The guilty feeling resurfaced. Gaara's tone had not been suspicious but Yumi couldn't help but feel as though he were accusing her. Yumi opened her mouth to respond but stopped when the pounding in her head intensified. Gaara's eyes widened slightly when he took in the expression on Yumi's face. Her eyes were shut tight and there was a pained look on her face. Gaara allowed a slight worry line to show up on his forehead. "What's wrong?"

Yumi looked up and forced a smile, "It's nothing - just a head – ache, that's all. I think the sun's getting to me. Anyway I was looking for a painkiller but I see your medicine's cabinet's empty so I guess I'll just have to try to sleep it off."

She turned to go into her room but stopped when Gaara said, "Wait." When she turned back, he continued, "Follow me."

Yumi blinked in surprise but did as she was told and followed Gaara out of the bathroom, downstairs and into the kitchen. "Sit."

She hopped onto one of the stools they had occupied during their impromptu dinner three weeks ago and watched in silence as Gaara began opening drawers and pulling out random ingredients. (Well they seemed pretty random to her.)

After a few minutes passed by and Gaara had yet to say anything by way of explanation, Yumi ventured to ask, "Excuse me Gaara – sama but what are you doing?"

Gaara was now mixing the ingredients when he replied, "There is a traditional Suna remedy that cures head - aches. I am making it for you."

Yumi took in what Gaara said and promptly began to feel very confused. Why was the Kazekage taking time out of his busy schedule to make a head – ache remedy for her? Come to think of it – what was he doing home this hour? It was only nine o' clock. "Uh, thank you Gaara – sama but that really isn't necessary. I mean, I'm sure I could do it myself if you told me how. You don't have to do this."

Gaara continued to mix the ingredients together but spared Yumi a glance. In that instant, their eyes met and she suddenly felt that she should have kept her mouth shut. She immediately started backtracking, "I'm sorry Gaara – sama if I offended you. I appreciate this immensely. Really. Thank you very much."

Gaara nodded, then declared, "If you are ill, you will be unable to fulfill your duties at the Academy."

Yumi instantly felt deflated and surprisingly disappointed, "Of course," she said in a quiet voice. Then she frowned. '_Why am I disappointed? I mean he's the __Kazekage__. Obviously he would want me to be at my best so that I can teach. I mean that makes sense. __I should have__ expected__ that__'_

She (wisely) chose to ignore the voice in the back of her head that suggested that maybe, just maybe there was another, more personal reason why she wanted him to be worried about her.

Seeing her mood change so suddenly, Gaara felt a twinge of guilt and knew that he had to do something to make up for it. Normally he only spoke when it was absolutely necessary but he suddenly, surprisingly felt inclined to make small talk with this girl. "Besides, somebody needs to be there to keep Renji – kun in line."

Yumi suddenly looked up with an incredulous expression on his face, '_He remembers __Renji__ – kun?_' "You're right," she responded, allowing a small smile to make its' way onto her face, "Although he has been behaving himself lately. Thank goodness! I don't want to have to deal with any more traumatized little girls," she said while rolling her eyes.

Gaara stole another glance at her and was pleased to see that her eyes had regained that lively look that he had become accustomed to. Then he frowned – when exactly had he become accustomed to it anyway?

"Hey!" Yumi said, finally voicing her realization," You're home early. I take it Temari – san had something to do with this."

Gaara scoffed, "As always."

"When is she leaving again?"

"Next week." Gaara hated to admit it but the truth was that he really appreciated it when Temari helped him out.

Yumi thought that over for a little while, then said to Gaara, "Hmm. I guess I won't see you as often then because you'll be working later." Then she added to herself, '_Unfortunately.'_Thinking that this was a dangerous train of thought and that she definitely needed to take her mind off of it, she asked, "So how do you know how to make this remedy?"

"I was head – ache prone when I was younger." It occurred to Gaara as he said this that at some point in time, he'd have to explain his complicated past to Yumi. He couldn't be certain but he had gotten the impression that she did not know about his background. He frowned and was grateful for the distraction presented by the remedy which was now finished. He took a glass and poured the liquid into it, then handed it to Yumi.

She stared at the green concoction suspiciously, "After I take this, how soon will the head – ache go away?"

He shrugged and replied in his monotone, "Ten minutes for the most."

Yumi looked surprised and raised an eyebrow at the mixture, "Wow that's fast. Well thank you Gaara – sama. I really do appreciate this," she declared right before she downed the mixture.

Gaara watched as she then proceeded to make the strangest facial expression that he had ever seen. She sucked in her lips like a fish and then her eyes grew wide until they were practically falling out of their sockets, then her whole face turned downwards into an unhappy, mildly disgusted expression.

_'He didn't mention that it tasted like vomit! Ugh! I hope I never have to drink this stuff again!_Yumi would probably have continued complaining had something not stopped her. A strange noise had reached her ears and it was coming from…Gaara?

Yumi practically fell off her stool when she tore her eyes away from her glass to see the renowned Kazekage of Sunagakure practically choking with laughter.

"Gaara – sama?" Yumi questioned, shocked to see Gaara practically crying with laughter. Granted she didn't know him very well but she was sure that this sort of outburst was incredibly out of character for him.

When Gaara calmed down, his feelings of mirth quickly transformed themselves into ones of embarrassment and consternation. He had never let himself go like that in front of anyone save his siblings and he wasn't quite sure how to act. He regained his composure as best he could before looking over at Yumi who…was grinning from ear to ear?

"Wow! Who would've thought that you'd be so easily amused Gaara – sama?"

"Actually I've never laughed like that before," he admitted reluctantly.

Yumi smiled, ignorant to Gaara's discomfort, "Well it's good to see you loosen up. You should do it more often."

'_I very well might_,' Gaara thought, '_with you around.__' _Outwardly he said, "How are you feeling now?"

"Actually I think your laughter might have made it worse," Yumi stated, laughing softly.

"I'm – "

"Relax, it's cool. If it's the price I have to pay to make you laugh, then I'm fine with it," Yumi said, grinning. Gaara suddenly got the feeling that that laughing fit did more good than harm to his relationship with Yumi. Unless it was his imagination, he was sure that she seemed more relaxed around him as well. If that were the truth, then perhaps it was a small price to pay.

"Thank you very much Gaara – sama. I really appreciate it. Anyway I'm gonna go upstairs and see if this remedy of yours coupled with a dark room will get rid of my migraine. Good night."

"Good night," Gaara said, nodding but inwardly he felt disappointed. He had hoped that he would get a chance to spend more time with her tonight but it seemed that that wasn't to be. Those feelings lasted for only a moment however before changing to much more pleasant ones after seeing the brilliant smile she was bestowing on him. Seeing her smiling like that and knowing that he caused it caused an unfamiliar feeling to well up inside of him. As he watched her leave the room, it occurred to him that this arranged marriage idea might not be so bad after all.

**A/N: **Hiya! I'm so immensely sorry that this is so late!! My apologies y'all. Anyway I hope you liked this installment. I know that Gaara laughing is kinda (really) OOC but it had to happen. And this is set in the future so keep in mind that he's loosened up somewhat. Anyway the next chapter will be up sooner – I've already started it so don't worry.

Thanks for reading! Thanks to all my favouriters, reviewers and alerters. That said, to make up for this impossibly late update, I'm gonna leave you guys with a preview of the next chapter. I hope it generates some interest!

**PREVIEW OF CHAPTER 9**

_"She electrocuted me!" __Temari__ exclaimed, glaring daggers at her youngest brother as though he were the culprit._

_"Who?!"__Gaara__ and __Kankurou__ asked simultaneously._

_"Your fiancée!"_


	9. Shock Treatment

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 9**

Temari stalked through the halls of the Kazekage's office, practically oozing killing intent. Everyone within her immediate vicinity cringed as she passed by, pitying whoever she was about to inflict her wrath upon. She ignored them all and marched straight to her brother's office. When she got there, she did not even bother to knock, choosing to kick open the door instead.

Gaara and Kankurou (who just happened to be there dropping off a mission report) looked up as their sister stalked into the room.

"Temari, what happened?" Kankurou asked as he took in his sister's unusual appearance. Her hair, instead of being up in the usual ponytails was sticking straight up out of her head and the ends of her hair appeared to be singed.

"She electrocuted me!" Temari shouted, glaring daggers at her youngest brother as though he were the culprit. The fact that she refrained from using his title spoke volumes as to just how angry she was (as if the killing intent had not already given it away).

"Who?" Gaara and Kankurou asked simultaneously.

"Your fiancée," she growled, still glaring at Gaara.

The first thing that came to Gaara's mind was how odd it was to hear someone refer to Yumi as his fiancée, even he didn't think of her like that as yet. For the moment though, he pushed it to the back of his mind and focused on the rest of his sister's words.

He then remembered the incident with Renji a week ago. Gaara narrowed his eyes. What could have happened between Temari and Yumi that would cause her to do that to her? Or perhaps she hadn't done it on purpose? He frowned as he took in his sister's appearance. Well there was only one way to get to the bottom of this.

"Temari," he said, the commanding tone in his voice causing both of his siblings to stand up a little straighter, 'explain."

"Okay," Temari said as she fell into the chair directly across from her brother's desk, "This is what happened."

* * *

_Temari was seated at the dining room table, writing a letter to Shikamaru to remind him that she was returning in a week's time, when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She looked up just in time to see Yumi pass the dining room door. _

"_Where is she going?" she wondered aloud. Then she shook her head, "It's not my business – she can go where she wants." She started writing again, then paused._

"_Saionji – san," she called out loudly. She couldn't help herself - her curiosity got the better of her._

_Yumi back – tracked, sticking her head into the room, "Hello Temari – san. I'm sorry – I didn't see you there."_

_Temari nodded, "It's fine. Where are you headed?"_

"_I'm going to training ground C. If I don't force myself to train, I'll get lazy and slack off. Sometimes I forget I'm on a mission and start acting like I'm on vacation," Yumi finished, chuckling quietly._

_Temari smiled, "Hmm, I know the feeling. You know Saionji – san, I could spar with you if you'd like."_

_Yumi looked surprised, then she smiled, "That would be great! I'd really appreciate it actually. I wanted to ask someone but I felt a bit uncomfortable. I didn't want to put anyone out."_

_Temari shook her head, "It's not a problem. Just hold on a minute," she added as she began to pack up her things. She then took them upstairs where she deposited them on her bed. Then she grabbed her fan as she exited, deftly slipping it into the sash around her waist as she made her way back downstairs. Yumi was waiting by the front door and they left, Temari leading the way._

* * *

"_So,' Yumi said as she ran through a series of stretches, 'what rules do you usually use when you're sparring? Is it strictly hand to hand combat or can you use any techniques?"_

_Temari shrugged, "Anything as long as no one gets hurt."_

_Yumi nodded as she straightened up, "Alright, I'm ready."_

_Temari nodded and moved to pull out her fan but Yumi stopped her by sending a fierce kick her way, forcing her to use her arm to block instead. Behind the kick came a rapid series of punches, which Temari had to contort her body all sorts of ways to avoid. On the last punch, she grabbed Yumi's arm and twisted it, rendering her partially immobile. Temari used that opportunity to reach back and pull out her fan, letting go of Yumi's arm and moving backward just in time to avoid a kick that would definitely have sent her falling to the ground._

_She opened her fan to the first moon, conjuring up a tremendous gust of wind and sending it at Yumi. Yumi cart-wheeled out of the wind's path, scanning the training grounds for anywhere to shelter from Temari's attacks. However there was nothing there but a sea of sand. Temari smirked, knowing that this was to her advantage – after all, Yumi couldn't dodge her attacks forever and on these training grounds, there was nowhere for her to hide or shelter._

_She sent another fierce gust of wind at her opponent but just as Yumi was about to be hit by the attack, she disappeared. Temari squinted and turned in a circle, searching for Yumi, her adrenaline pumping. Just as she expected, Yumi appeared in front of her, legs extended in a drop kick. Temari, although she was able to predict the attack, could not move fast enough to avoid it totally so she maneuvred her body so that the kick hit her side instead. Temari absorbed the impact and was immediately back on the offense, opening her fan further to reveal three moons. 'Time to use my advantage,' she thought._

"_Sand Storm Jutsu!" _

_The sand around them rose and began swirling madly, agitated by Temari's wind. Yumi moved back, coughing madly as tears leaked out of her eyes. Temari grinned, 'Now's my chance.' _

"_Kamaitachi no Jutsu!" (Cutting Whirlwind Technique!)_

_Yumi opened her eyes just as the whirlwind envolepped her and Temari almost felt bad as she watched Yumi get battered by her winds. When the wind dissipated, Yumi lay on the floor, scratches covering her body. Temari was about to call out to her when she stirred. She watched as Yumi got up, a little labouriously and then even from that distance, Temari could see that Yumi's face was set, determination lining her features. 'What's she going to do now?' she wondered, her fan open and at the ready._

_Then Yumi did her disappearing act again. Temari began rotating once more, her eyes scanning the field. Just as suddenly as she disappeared, Yumi showed up again, still a good distance away from her though and Temari watched, confused as Yumi threw a kunai deep into the ground. She repeated this action four times and Temari realized, too late however that Yumi was fencing her in. Then just as Temari was about to get out of the circle, Yumi appeared directly above her and threw a kunai straight at Temari's feet._

"_Lightning Orb Jutsu!"_

_All of a sudden, Temari was simultaneously blinded and paralyzed. She felt her body tense as hundreds of electric currents ran through it. It was as though she had stuck her finger into a light socket. Her fan fell from her grasp and she suddenly felt herself falling forward. A minute later, she regained control of her body but not before a handful of sand had entered her mouth._

_When she got up, Yumi was standing there, looking slightly worried, "Temari – san, I'm so sorry. Are you alright? I tried to weaken it as much as I could," she asked, concern edging into her voice._

_Temari was so mad that she couldn't even respond. First she electrocutes her and then she apologizes! A shinobi does not apologize! So instead of replying, she turned on her heel and stormed off._

…'and that's when I came to see you," Temari said, finally finishing her story. Gaara and Kankurou were staring back at her, all traces of sympathy gone from their faces.

"Are you serious Temari? When you came in here, you made it sound like she just decided to electrocute you out of the blue," Kankurou said.

Temari rolled her eyes, wisely deciding not to respond to Kankurou's comment. Instead she trained her eyes on her younger brother. She had expected that he would be glaring at her, annoyed that she had wasted his time (since, looking back, even _she_ had to admit that she'd over-reacted somewhat) but instead, there was a pensive expression on his face. After a little while, he met his sister's gaze and uttered a single question, "So, how strong is she?"

* * *

Yumi dragged herself into the Kazekage's residence and made her way slowly and mournfully to the living room where she promptly sank into a big, comfortable armchair. 

"Whoa!" exclaimed Michiko (who had previously been reclining on the couch, sketching something), as she sat up, "You look terrible! What happened to you?"

Yumi sighed dejectedly as she raised her head to meet Michiko's eyes, "I was sparring with Temari – san and it got a little out of hand," she said by way of explanation. Then she sat up suddenly, eyes wide, "She's not here, is she?"

Michiko laughed, "Relax – I've been here for awhile and I haven't seen her. Was it really that bad?"

Yumi shook her head, "It's not that. I...kind of used one of my more powerful techniques on her and I think she got a little upset. I really didn't want to but it was the only way I could get her to stop attacking me! I could only dodge her attacks for so long."

Michiko smiled sympathetically, "Sparring with Temari – san – I can't say I envy you. Although facing off against such a formidable opponent must pose quite a challenge."

Yumi scoffed, "Oh it did. That woman is brutal. I tell you I would never want to face her on the battlefield,' then her mouth suddenly turned downwards into a frown, 'I don't know. This may sound a little odd but sometimes I get the feeling that she really doesn't like me."

Michiko's eyes widened slightly, "Oh no! Don't think that. Temari – san's like that with everyone at first. Goodness knows she wasn't always nice to me."

"Well with you, I can understand. I mean, what with you dating Kankurou – san and all. But what did _I_ do?"

Michiko's eyes sparkled mischievously as she uttered her next sentence, "Well maybe she's worried that you and Gaara – sama will hit it off."

"What?" Yumi said, sitting up a little, 'That's ridiculous. Gaara, I mean, _Kazekage_ – sama and I barely even see each other." She knew that wasn't _exactly_ true but a little white lie never hurt anyone, right?

Michiko smiled, unable to hide her obvious amusement, "Relax. I was just joking."

Yumi frowned, looking down and away from Michiko's eyes. There was a knowing look in them as though she was privy to something that Yumi wasn't.

"So,' Michiko started – she figured it was time to change the subject, after all she didn't want to give anything away, 'how are you settling in at the Academy?"

Yumi nodded, grateful to be talking about something else, "Oh, the kids are great. Well, most of them anyway. I think teaching here's going to be a breeze. To tell the truth, the climate change is the hardest thing for me to get used to."

Michiko nodded, "I can imagine. I've been to Lightning Country a few times myself. It was so wet there, I felt like I was drowning!" She and Yumi shared a laugh. "And everyone's being nice to you? Kankurou's not giving you a hard time, I hope?" Michiko asked, her eyes narrowed a little in suspicion.

Yumi laughed, "No! Well a little but he's just joking, I know. I really like Kankurou – san. In a weird way, he reminds me of my brother."

"What do you mean – in a weird way?"

"Oh, nothing bad. I just mean that they're not really alike, you know, personality – wise but for some reason, he still reminds me of Jien. The thing is my nii – san's really serious most of the time but when he loosens up, well... he acts just like Kankurou – san."

"Oh okay. Well I'm glad that you two are getting along. If he gives you a hard time, just let me know. I'll straighten him out."

Yumi grinned, "Thanks a lot. Speaking of which, and I'm not trying to be rude but what are you doing here? Kankurou – san isn't here, is he?"

"Huh? Oh well, he came over to my apartment earlier so I could help him with a mission report and then he left to go drop it off at the Kazekage's office. We're supposed to go out so he told me to come and wait for him here. To tell the truth, it shouldn't have taken him more than ten minutes," Michiko said, trailing off as she looked over at the living room door, a little frown on her lips.

Yumi shrugged, "Well maybe Gaara – sama asked him to stay and help him out."

Michiko chuckled slightly, "That's…rather unlikely. Temari – san helps, Kankurou is more likely to just 'keep him company' or as Temari –san puts it, he just 'takes up space'."

"Oh?"

Michiko nodded, "Yeah, Kankurou's not really fit for office work - paperwork drives him crazy."

Yumi smiled, "As it does everyone."

They laughed again. "So,' Michiko started again, speaking in a way that one would if one were counting things off of a list, 'you like it here, everything's okay at the Academy, Temari scares the crap out of you, Kankurou's behaving. Hmm...aah! I didn't ask you what you thought of Kazekage - sama. I know you said that you don't see him often but you must have gotten some impression of him." Now Michiko's face simply held a look of faint interest and her eyes were devoid of any sparkle, twinkle or shine. (She's a very good actress.)

"Uh, I like him, what I've seen of him anyway. He's very nice and, um, accommodating," Yumi replied.

"Hmm. Okay." Michiko said, reclining on the couch.

Yumi nodded and stood up, "Anyway I should probably go and take a shower."

"Oh okay. Well I'll be here,' Michiko responded. Yumi nodded and began leaving. She stopped and looked back when Michiko called out to her, 'Oh! By the way, I wouldn't worry too much about Temari - san. Next time you see her, I'm sure she'll be a lot calmer and everything will blow right over."

Yumi smiled, "Thanks a lot, Shiraishi - san."

"You can call me Michiko."

"Oh. In that case, you can call me Yumi."

"Okay," Michiko said, smiling. Yumi smiled back and then slipped out of the living room and began making her way up the steps, intent on taking a long, cold shower.

* * *

Later that night after Kankurou had returned and he and Michiko went out, Yumi was tip-toeing through the house, trying to avoid Temari. She had intended to apologize when Temari returned but at the last minute, she changed her mind. 

As a result, she had spent most of the night in her room going over her lesson plans for the next week when unfortunately, she started to feel hungry. So she had gone downstairs _very_ quietly and fixed herself something to eat. She wasn't sure whether or not she could eat in her room so she had eaten hurriedly in the kitchen, all the time listening out for any indication that Temari was coming downstairs. When she was finished, she left the kitchen and began making her way back to her bedroom. She thought she was home free when she reached the second flight of stairs and nothing happened. So she began making her way up to her room, feeling relieved until she heard the door open and Temari call her back.

'_Oh crap,_' she thought as she turned back and reluctantly made her way back to the landing of the second floor where Temari was standing, just outside of her room. "Hello Temari – san. I – "

"Stop,' Yumi stopped speaking, surprised, 'Before you say anything else, don't apologize. You don't have to, " Then Temari paused for a second, her eyes passing over Yumi in an almost appraising manner. Finally she said, 'You were a good opponent. We'll spar again sometime."

Yumi nodded, surprised, "Okay, thanks. I...hope we can spar again too."

Temari nodded, "Well, that's all. Good night,' she said, retreating into her bedroom.

"Good night,' Yumi responded, her voice trailing off since Temari's door was already closed. 'Hmm,' she muttered as she turned and began making her way slowly upstairs. She wasn't sure why but she felt like something really important had happened during that short exchange. She pondered it for a few minutes but then unable to figure out why she thought so, she just shook it off as she moved into her room and dropped down on her bed. _'Back to work,'_ Yumi thought as she picked up the lesson plans again.

**A/N: JE VIS!!!! Bonjour, tout le monde. Je suis retournee.**

**I live! Hi everyone, I'm back. I'm so, so sorry for taking so long to update - I know it's been months. I have good news tho - I've already written Chapter 10 so it should be up within the next two days or so. I hope y'all liked this chapter - this is the one that was holding up production. I was really dreading writing the fight scene - I hoped it was okay - go easy on me. It was my first one. Anyway I'm glad to be back. Thanks to all my reviewers, alerters and favouriters.**

**Btw, my birthday party was just a few days ago. A review would make a WONDERFUL present.**


	10. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**A/N: **Hey you guys. Well I don't know when Chapter 11 will be up but I doubt it'll be this soon. Hope you liked this chapter - leave a review and let me know! And now, without further ado...

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 10**

Yumi's eyes shot open. She looked around her room, taking in the darkness and sighing as she shook her head_, 'I'm awake again.' _This would make it the fifth time she'd woken up in the middle of the night that month. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes – it was becoming more and more difficult for her to get a proper night's rest these days. She had no idea what was causing this disturbance in her sleep patterns.

Yumi sat in bed for a few minutes, contemplating the best way to get back to sleep. Eventually she got out of bed after settling on getting a warm glass of milk. She personally hated the taste of warm milk but if it would succeed in making her sleepy…

She slipped out of her room silently and began making her way to the stairs, glancing in the direction of Gaara's room as she passed. Ever since Temari had returned to Konoha, Yumi had seen less and less of the Kazekage. It had been about a month and a half since they had last spoken. She usually caught sight of him in the evenings when he returned home from the office but they hadn't had any lasting conversations like before.

Yumi frowned – she kind of missed their interactions. Granted they had only had a few short conversations but Yumi couldn't help but feel that there might have been something between them. Then she shook her head – thoughts like that would lead to nothing but trouble and she knew it would be best if she tried to keep them at bay.

She padded down the stairs, shivering slightly in the cold of the desert night. Yumi giggled quietly as she passed Kankurou's room and heard the loud snores emanating from it. She had gotten relatively close to Kankurou and Michiko (who spent most of her time over at the Kazekage's residence when she wasn't on missions or training) since Temari had left. She usually spent most evenings with the two of them after she returned to the Kazekage's residence from the Academy. It wasn't long before she felt totally comfortable in their presence.

As she entered the kitchen, her eyes came to rest on a familiar figure – the same handsome redhead who had just been occupying her thoughts, was sitting by the kitchen counter, his eyes closed, the black around them more visible than ever.

"Gaara – sama?"

He opened his eyes and turned to face her slowly, looking for all the world like someone who had just emerged from a deep sleep. "Good night Yumi – san," he replied thickly as he regarded her, noting that she was again clad in the bunny print pajamas. He decided then that he would treat this as endearing instead of juvenile.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she looked around the kitchen, noting that there were no empty plates or cups there. _'What is he doing down here in the middle of the night?'_ She wondered as he regarded her blankly.

"I couldn't sleep. So I came down here to meditate."

"Oh! I'm sorry then – I didn't mean to disturb you. I'll just go."

"Don't. It's not a problem. Sit down."

Yumi moved through the kitchen and plopped down on the seat across from Gaara's. "So," she started, unsure of what to say in this situation, "What's keeping you up? Anything in particular?"

Gaara looked away – the truth was that he had been up thinking about the engagement. He was beginning to get a little bit concerned because he hadn't been able to really talk to Yumi in almost two months and he barely knew anything about her as it was. But then here she came traipsing into the kitchen at the exact same moment that he was wondering how to deal with the whole thing. Coincidence?

Of course he couldn't tell her what had really been bothering him so instead he answered, "I've been having some trouble sleeping recently, that's all. And you?"

Yumi's eyes widened at his explanation and she leaned towards him before saying incredulously, "Forget about me – I want to know what's keeping you up! It won't do for you to be losing sleep – you have to be well rested! How will you do your job properly if your brain's all sleep - adled?!"

Gaara allowed the corners of his mouth to turn up into a smirk – he found Yumi's outrage quite amusing. Of course lack of sleep wasn't having the effect on Gaara that it would on others but Yumi wouldn't know that.

"Do not concern yourself about me, Yumi – san. I can assure you that my brain is anything but 'sleep adled' and I believe that I am quite competent, regardless of my lack of sleep."

Yumi looked skeptical, "I'm sure. Now tell me, Gaara – sama. Do you by any chance know what's preventing you from sleeping?"

Gaara looked up at her, surprised but touched by her genuine concern. He could tell that it was genuine too because it was written all over her face. He wondered absently how a ninja could survive with such a candid countenance.

"It's," He started before pausing. What should he say? He couldn't tell her what he had actually been thinking about. However he needn't have worried because Yumi herself provided him with a solution.

"Let me guess – it's some top secret, really important political thing that you can't talk about, right?"

Gaara studied her and then nodded slowly, smirking as he realized that what she had said was in a way the truth, "You could say that."

Yumi nodded, smiling wistfully, "Yeah. My otou - sama's the same way. I suppose all Kages have the same difficulties."

"I imagine you must be well versed in the political arena, Yumi – san?"

She laughed quietly, "I suppose so. It's not as though I had a choice. When my brother and I were younger, my father trained us both in the whole political process. He had planned to observe us and decide who was more competent, then name that child as heir but that didn't really work out," her voice suddenly took on a somewhat guilty tone and she looked away.

Now Gaara's interest was peaked. He was aware that Yumi's brother was set to inherit the position of Raikage, however he had not given much thought as to why this was. "Why not?"

Yumi's eyes sparkled mischievously, "To make a long story short, I just wasn't cut out for the political arena and it wasn't long before my father realized that as well."

Gaara nodded but sensed that Yumi was definitely leaving out a large chunk of the story. As usual, he decided to let the matter rest for now, sure that in the future she would tell him the rest.

Silence descended in the quaint kitchen as Yumi's eyes wandered over to the kitchen window and she gazed out at the crescent moon high above their heads. Gaara studied Yumi's profile in the moonlight, noting how soft her skin looked and wanting inexplicably to touch it. He frowned and looked away, surprised at this treacherous thought pattern.

Suddenly Yumi gasped and turned back to Gaara, her excitement shining in her eyes, "Gaara – sama! I just remembered something." He inclined his head at her as a sign to continue, "There _is_ something I can do to help you sleep. It's a twist on a healing technique that my mother taught me when I was younger. Come here," she said, stretching her hands out towards him.

Gaara hesitated - _'a twist on a healing technique'_? That didn't sound promising.

Yumi frowned, "Come on. I'm not gonna hurt you. Trust me – I know what I'm doing."

Gaara still had a few reservations but since he didn't want to offend Yumi, he moved closer to her. He tried to ignore the strange way that his heart sped up when she placed her hands on his forehead.

Yumi was also having trouble trying to fight the blush threatening to creep up her cheeks. She concentrated and Gaara felt the soothing feeling of healing chakra coursing through his head. He realized after a few seconds that the chakra seemed slightly different from typical healing chakra.

"How do you feel Gaara – sama?" Yumi asked as she began massaging his temples softly.

Gaara opened his mouth to respond but found himself more than a little confused by the onset of these strange feelings, "I...am not sure," he said uncertainly.

Yumi smiled, "That's okay. It takes a few minutes to kick in. Anyway I don't know why I didn't think of this before considering the fact that I haven't been sleeping well myself."

Gaara moved his head upward to look up at Yumi intending to ask her about that but the words died in his throat when his eyes caught Yumi's. Her eyes widened and she subconsciously stopped rubbing his forehead. Yumi opened her mouth to say something but found her mind was totally blank so she just shut it again.

They continued to stare at each other for a few minutes and unknowingly began moving closer to one another. When their noses were almost touching, Gaara hesitated.

In that moment of hesitation, the spell between them was broken and Yumi's eyes scanned the space (or lack thereof) between them, taking in the situation. Her eyes widened even more in alarm and she stepped back, putting her hands behind her back as she did.

"Gaara, Kazekage – sama! I, I think I should go to bed. It's getting late," she said, moving quickly backwards out of the kitchen, eyes still wide open in shock over what had almost happened between them.

"Yumi – san, wait," Gaara said desperately, searching his brain for something to say to stop her, to calm her down. He sensed that if he didn't do something then, all the progress they had made would be wasted.

"No it's really late. And you should go to bed too because that jutsu should be kicking in pretty soon. Good night," Yumi said before rushing up the stairs, face aflame.

Gaara watched her go with a sinking feeling. He wanted to go after her but just as she said, the drowsiness that seemed to have disappeared during their moment suddenly crashed down on him and he only had time to rest his head on the kitchen counter before he was out cold.

* * *

Yumi was currently pacing up and down in her room, trying to keep calm and sort out her thoughts. She wasn't doing a very good job of it.

'_I can't _believe_ what just happened. How could I be so stupid? I let my little infatuation with the Kazekage go way too far.' _Yumi thought, taking a deep breath as _s_he sat down heavily on her bed, her shoulders slumping

_'I don't even know what to do and I thought what happened before was embarrassing. In fact, this goes beyond embarrassing - it's just wrong. My brother would kill me if he found about this. He would say I'm being totally irresponsible. And he'd be right,' _she thought dejectedly as she closed her eyes and threw herself back onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling, her mind replaying what had just happened in the kitchen. A little, nagging voice suddenly popped up, raising a very interesting point, _'But he moved in too, didn't he? And I could have sworn from the look in his eyes that he - ' "_

"What am I thinking? I'm not even going to entertain those thoughts. I cannot have a relationship with the Kazekage, it's simple as that. There is a very simple solution for this. All I have to do is make sure that I keep things totally professional between the two of us...And avoid him like the plague. Yes! That sounds like a plan,' She thought as she curled up in bed, pulling the covers over her and thankfully drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Several days passed by where Yumi's plan actually seemed to be working. Until an evening, several days after the almost kiss when Gaara came home early and found Yumi and Kankurou conversing in the kitchen.

"Hey little bro, you're home early!" Kankurou said by way of greeting.

Yumi glanced at Gaara before looking down again, "Good evening, Kazekage – sama," she said quietly.

Kankurou noticed her formality and glanced at his brother but Gaara was fixated on Yumi, "Kankurou. Yumi – san."

Yumi appeared slightly alarmed by Gaara's attention and feigned a yawn, "It's good to see you home so early, Kazekage – sama. You know what? I think I'm gonna head to bed now," she said, glancing at Kankurou.

Kankurou nodded, "Alright. Good night Yumi – san."

"Wait, Yumi – san. May I speak with you before you go?" Gaara asked, sending his brother a look.

Kankurou looked between the two of them and slipped from the kitchen, mumbling something about cleaning up the living room. Yumi watched him leave, her apprehension growing – she knew what Gaara was going to say and she searched her mind to find a way out of the conversation.

Gaara watched Kankurou leave as well before turning his gaze back to Yumi, "Yumi – san, I hope that what happened the other night…" he trailed off, thinking – he knew that he had to phrase this properly in order to avoid alienating her more.

Yumi shook her head, "Don't worry about that, Kazekage – sama. It was nothing, right?" she finished, glancing up at Gaara with a look that made it seem impossible for him to say otherwise.

Gaara contemplated her question for a minute before answering, "Exactly. It was nothing."

"Well then, there's nothing to talk about! Unless there's something else you want to discuss?" she said with false cheeriness.

Gaara continued to watch her, still trying to think of something to say to make amends before giving up as he realized that his efforts were futile. "I suppose you're right. No, there's nothing else."

Yumi sighed and bowed, "Well then, good night Kazekage – sama," she said as she turned to go.

"Yumi – san?"

"Yes?" she said, turning back.

"I believe I told you that you do not have to address me by my title in private."

Yumi turned back to Gaara and he watched as an unknown emotion flitted through her eyes before she said quietly, "I think it's better if I do," before retreating upstairs.

A surge of frustration ran through Gaara as he watched her go. This was exactly what he was trying to avoid! What was he supposed to do now?

His anger suddenly became directed towards Yumi's father. Gaara scowled deeply as he thought of him, _'If he hadn't proposed this idiotic clause, this would never have happened.'_

His thoughts were interrupted by his brother's voice, "Gaara? Is there something you're not telling me?" Kankurou asked quietly, eyebrows raised as he stared pointedly at the place where Yumi had been.

Gaara turned his gaze on his brother and Kankurou was surprised by the intensity he saw reflected there - it wasn't often that Gaara's eyes looked anything more than cold and lifeless. He was downright floored however by what Gaara said next. "Kankurou, I think it's time that Yumi learn about the engagement."


	11. Work It Out

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 11**

The Kazekage was not pleased - not at all. In fact, he was way past being displeased; now he was downright pissed off. And the funny thing is that right up until that moment he had been having what for him could be considered a pretty good day - no little crises had popped up anywhere in the village, he had finished most of his paperwork so it looked like he would actually be able to get home at a decent hour and no mishaps had occurred on any missions that week.

All he had to do was get through his weekly council meeting and then he could go home and relax. Maybe even get some sleep – he had not had a proper night's rest since that night with Yumi.

The meeting had started out all right. Various council members delivered reports or raised specific concerns while Gaara listened patiently to all of them. Then when the meeting started to wind down and Gaara began to relax, thinking that he'd soon be at home, his council ruined his good day with what _they_ considered a simple request.

Koumno had just finished discussing the new plants introduced into the greenhouse when another advisor, Jiro turned to Gaara, a polite smile on his face, "Tell me - how long has it been since Saionji-sama arrived?"

Gaara frowned, although he could not say that he was particularly surprised. The council members had been unusually reticent about Yumi since her arrival so he knew that it was only a matter of time until she became the subject of conversation.

"Four months," he responded brusquely. He was not particularly keen on discussing her with them, or with anyone for that matter.

Jiro chose to ignore the message hidden in his lord's tone and instead pressed on, "Ah, yes. And everything is going well with the two of you, I trust?"

"You needn't concern yourself with my affairs," Gaara replied in a tone of barely concealed annoyance which was directed not only at Jiro but at the rest of his council as well. Then he began to rise from his seat, saying as he did, "And if that is all, then – "

"Ah, Kazekage-sama, please wait. We have something that we'd like to discuss with you," another councilor, Akahito said hurriedly, taking up the thread after sending a furtive glance at Jiro. Gaara's frown deepened – whatever was coming next could not be good.

Grudgingly Gaara lowered himself into his seat again and nodded at Akahito to proceed.

"Well, it's actually a request – about Saionji-sama."

Gaara pursed his lips and nodded again – as soon as they mentioned her earlier, he had begun to suspect that whatever they wanted was connected to her.

"We would like to meet her."

Gaara decided to humour them – just long enough to find out their motives at least, "Why?"

"We want to find out about her – see what she's like."

"Why?"

"To make sure that she is suitable for you."

Gaara's irritation grew with each word of their explanation, _'They don't think, do they? What would be the point of that? We are already engaged – even if they did find her unsuitable, I would not be able to do anything about it.'_

To his council, however, he simply said in as even a tone as he could muster, "That will not be necessary. She is to be my wife, if anyone is to deem her suitable or unsuitable, it will be me. Furthermore even if I was willing to grant your request, which I am not; I could not – how do you propose I explain to Yumi-san your desire to meet with her?"

The councilors exchanged glances, partly because of Gaara's comments and partly because he'd referred to his fiancé by her first name (which he had never before done in their presence) and then Baki who had been rolling his eyes ever since the topic came up (for he thought this whole request rather foolish and unnecessary), spoke up, "They were going to leave that up to you, Kazekage-sama. They imagined you'd be able to persuade her since you've become so well acquainted."

Gaara stood again and then narrowed his eyes at his council, speaking his next words in a slow, deliberate and dangerous fashion, "I will say this only once - you are to have nothing to do with Saionji-san without my consent." He didn't ask if they understand - he didn't have to. When the Kazekage used that tone of voice, no one dared argue. Then, after sending one final glare at them, he turned and left, sure that he had gotten his point across.

When Gaara was gone, Baki, who had been promoted several years prior mainly because he was someone that Gaara knew he could trust, turned to the other members of the council and said in an infuriating tone of voice, "I told you so."

* * *

As a result of the afore-narrated event, Gaara really was not in the best of moods. He had tried to allay his irritation by reminding himself that he would be able to leave the office early and head home but unfortunately even that didn't work. Now the truth is that Gaara wasn't _really_ all that upset about his advisors' request - it was stupid, no doubt, but the real reason that he was so annoyed was because their request forced him to think about Yumi. 

He hadn't been able to have a serious talk with her since that night almost a month and a half ago. As for revealing the engagement, after some coaxing from his brother, he decided to put it off. "She's not ready for that," Kankurou had stated after Gaara made his little declaration, "If you tell her now, it'll only make things worse." So Gaara took his brother's advice and waited it out, making sure to give Yumi a wide berth.

Although it seemed to be working, since Yumi had stopped bolting whenever Gaara entered a room and the smiles she gave him no longer seemed forced, Gaara couldn't help but feel frustrated at how long this was taking. After all if he had to wait this long just for her to let her guard down again, how long would it take him to actually get to know her? At this rate, it'd be _years_ before they actually married.

Gaara moved through the streets of his village swiftly, not in the mood to stop and chat with any of the villagers like he so often did. When he arrived home, he entered just as quietly and then, instead of going straight to his room like he'd planned, he went to the kitchen, drawn by the sounds emanating from it. The scene that met his eyes only served to aggravate him more.

Yumi was seated on a stool, directly facing Kankurou who was leaning against the kitchen counter. He was telling her a story about a friend of his from Konoha, Kiba Inuzuka and Yumi was giggling madly at the (obviously embellished) events that Kankurou was narrating.

"Stop it! I don't believe that really happened!"

"Are you saying I'm a liar then, Yumi-chan? I don't get why it's so hard to believe."

"Because it's ridiculous! Do you really expect me to believe that? Stop joking around now and tell me the _real_ story, Kankurou-kun," she said, grinning.

Gaara's eyes narrowed, even more than they had in his council room. _'Kankurou-__**kun**__? Yumi-__**chan**__? When did the two of them become so well acquainted?!'_

His dark thoughts were interrupted when Kankurou caught sight of him standing in the doorway, "Hey. You back already?"

Yumi turned to the doorway with a look of surprise. Gaara frowned as he noted how quickly her demeanour changed at the sight of him - her smile went from playful to polite, her tone held a detached, formal air about it and of course, he couldn't miss the contrast in the honorifics she attached to his brother's name and his own, "Good evening, Kazekage-sama. Is everything alright? You look upset."

Gaara nodded, "Everything is fine. Please excuse us Saionji-san - I'd like to speak with my brother."

Surprised by Gaara's tone, Yumi nodded and scrambled off of her stool, "Of course. We'll finish talking later, Kankurou-kun," she added as she passed him, leaving her hat behind in her haste.

Kankurou watched her go and then turned back to his younger brother, an eyebrow half-cocked in surprise, "What's so impor-?" He stopped as he caught the anger in Gaara's gaze, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Gaara glanced at the door and then back to Kankurou and surprisingly, his brother understood immediately. "So that's why you're upset. Listen Gaara, it's-"

"I thought you said you'd help me, Kankurou. _Do you call _that_ helping?" _The venom in Gaara's voice was unmistakable.

Now Kankurou began to get incensed as well - he certainly wasn't going to allow his _little brother _to try to make him feel guilty when he hadn't even done anything wrong, "Don't even start that, alright? You and I both know that the real reason you're upset is because it's been four months and you still barely know anything about her but don't you dare try to blame that on me! It's certainly not my fault that she's your fiancé and I know her better than you do. Don't go taking your frustration out on me!"

"You - " Gaara didn't get a chance to respond because just as he began to speak, Yumi re-entered the kitchen. She froze in the doorway however when they turned to her, the tension between them palpable, "S-sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I just...forgot my hat. I'm really sorry! I'll just take it and go, okay?" She said hurriedly, slidling up to the counter and grabbing her hat before rushing out of the kitchen. "You two can carry on your conversation now!" she called as she started up the stairs.

They waited until her footsteps receded before beginning to speak again."You don't think she heard us?" Kankurou asked, glancing anxiously at the doorway as if he half-expected Yumi to barge in and begin demanding answers.

Gaara shook his head and sighed as leaned back against the counter, the anger suddenly rushing out of him. He remained silent, considering everything that had just happened and then looked up, already remorseful, "Kankurou - "

"Don't worry about it," Kankurou said as he caught sight of the weary expression on his brother's face, "You're half right - I haven't been doing a very good job of helping you out these days. So, sorry about that."

Gaara nodded, then turned his head to the door, "How do I get her to open up to me, Kankurou? She's no longer wary of me but she's still distant."

Kankurou sighed and then moved across to the opposite side of the counter before putting an awkward arm around Gaara's shoulders, "I don't know. But don't worry so much - we'll figure something out."

* * *

Yumi yawned as she made her way down the stairs. Even though it was early, she'd made sure to change out of her pajamas just in case someone was downstairs. It was a good thing too because someone _was _downstairs, in the kitchen to be exact. A certain red-headed someone dressed in long, flowing blue and white robes... 

"Kazekage-sama, good morning!" _'I must be up really early to run into him,'_ she thought, glancing up at the clock above her. Seven o'clock_. 'Hmm, if I was at home, I'd just be turning over in bed right now but here, I have no choice but to get up early.'_

He seemed just as surprised to see her - something which she guessed, not because of his expression of course, but from the way that he tilted his head as he greeted her, "Good morning, Saionji-san. How did you sleep?"

She smiled, "Fine. I've been sleeping a lot better since - well, you know."

He nodded and turned away, returning his gaze to the cup of black coffee in front of him. Yumi, unnerved by the sudden silence, moved toward the refrigerator, racking her brains for something to say to change the subject. Just then, something that had been bothering her for some time, came to the forefront of her thoughts and she turned to face Gaara again, "Ah, Kazekage-sama, I've been wondering - do you have an assistant?"

Gaara turned to her, "An assistant?"

"Yes, you know someone who helps you with paperwork and assigning missions, that sort of thing."

Gaara thought for a minute, then said, "There are people in my office who file away the paperwork when I'm done with it..."

Yumi smiled kindly at his ignorance, "No, I mean someone who actually helps you _do_ the paperwork. You should get an assistant or two - it really lightens up your workload."

As Yumi clarified, Gaara's mind ran on the woman that he often saw at the Hokage's side in Konoha - he supposed it would help to have someone like that. Although it would have to be someone who didn't talk too much and annoy him - he didn't like to be disturbed while he was working, "I understand now. An interesting idea, Saionji-san – I will consider it."

Yumi's smile grew and she forgot herself, allowing her casual manner to return, "No problem. My father usually has one or two - when he was preparing me to be Raikage, he often made me do it so that I'd get experience but after my brother was chosen, all that stuff fell to him. I do still help him from time to time though, whenever he's positively swamped with work."

Gaara began to nod slowly and then stopped when something that Yumi said jumped out at him, _'he often made me do it - I still help from time to time'. _A small smirk appeared on Gaara's face as for the second time, Yumi inadvertently solved his problems. However he knew he'd have to be very careful how he handled this because he didn't want her to get suspicious, 'I imagine it will take some time to find someone suitable for such a responsibility."

Yumi nodded, totally oblivious, "I suppose so. My father usually just looks through his list of ninjas and picks whoever he thinks is right for the job but I guess since this is your first time choosing an assistant, you should be more thorough."

"You have a point, Saionji-san," he hesitated for a second, then continued, "Would you be willing to act as my assistant until I find a replacement?"

Her eyes widened, _'Spend hours on end with him, every day? I don't like the sound of that.' _"Well," she started slowly, "I'm quite content at the Academy..."

"You will still teach at the Academy. You will simply come to my office afterward and help me for a few hours. It will give me a chance to see what exactly an assistant does and in so doing, assist me in choosing someone to permanently fill the role. However if you do not wish to help me…"

"No, no! That's not it! I…just thought that I would have to stop working at the Academy and I just got settled there and everything but since that's not the case, I'd be happy to help – really. It's just until you find a replacement, right?"

Gaara nodded, pleased that his plan had worked, "Of course. I must go now," he added, rising from his stool and heading over to the sink to place his mug into it. At the sink, he stopped and turned to Yumi, "Come to my office at five o'clock. Let them know who you are and they'll show you where to go."

Yumi nodded, instantly internalizing his instructions, "Five it is. I'll see you later then."

"Yes, later. Good-bye, Saionji-san," he replied before exiting the room and then the house.

Yumi watched him go as a new, restless feeling rose up in her. She turned to the sink and stared into the empty mug blankly, wondering just what it was she'd gotten herself into.

And as Gaara made his way through the already busy Suna streets, he scowled as he realized that he had inadvertently fulfilled his council's request.

**A/N: **Thanks for all my reviews, favourites and alerts! I hope you guys found this chapter to your liking! Good news - you can expect faster updates - I've sworn to post up to Chapter 16 before New Years'. Also do y'all like the KankurouxMichiko sub-plot? I don't include them too much, right? I promise it's there for a reason plus I just love that pairing so much I had to continue it.


	12. The Simple Matter of Trust

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 12**

Yumi glanced up at the clock for the millionth time that day. _'Nearly half past four - I guess I should go now,' _she thought as she looked back down at the stack of books in front of her. She was currently in one of the Academy classrooms correcting home-work with the chuunin instructor, Yuko. She had hoped to finish her classes' home-work by the time she had to leave but she had gotten so caught up in talking to Yuko that she'd taken a lot longer to mark their books.

"Well I'm off now," Yumi said, closing the book in front of her and starting to put the books that she still had to correct in her bag.

Yuko looked up, "I figured you had to go somewhere. You couldn't take your eyes off of the clock."

Yumi laughed, "Sorry about that. I just don't want to be late - I've been assigned another duty and I'm supposed to be there at five." _'Not to mention I'm dying of nervousness,' _she thought. Ever since her talk with Gaara, Yumi had been experiencing an uneasy feeling which only seemed to grow as five o'clock approached.

Yuko's expression changed to one of mild trepidation, _"_So is that new duty to be performed along with this one or are you going to stop teaching at the Academy?"

Yumi shook her head vigourously as she stood, "Oh no, the new one is just for a few hours after I'm done here."

Yuko smiled, relieved, "That's good to hear. I was afraid you were leaving!"

Yumi smiled, genuinely pleased that her presence was appreciated, "No, not yet. You can rest assured that I'll let you know when it's time for me to go."

Yuko nodded, "Good. So what is it that you have to do, anyway?"

Yumi shrugged, "Just boring stuff like paperwork."

"Oh. So not much different from here then?"

Yumi nodded, slinging her bag over her shoulder, "Yeah, except no screaming kids!" The two women laughed and then Yuko, with a glance at the clock, said, "Well, you better go if you want to make it for five."

Yumi glanced at the clock and saw that it was now half past. "Oh, you're right." She turned to go, then turned back suddenly, "You're okay with all this, right?" she asked, gesturing to the books still left on the table. "I mean, I can take some if it's too much for you..."

"No, I'm fine! Go on - I can take care of things here," Yuko responded, smiling good-naturedly.

"All right. I'll see you tomorrow," Yumi replied with one last glance at the table.

"See you."

It wasn't until Yumi was out of the Academy that she realized that she didn't know how to get to the Kazekage's office. She hadn't been there since she'd arrived and that was quite some time ago. _'Maybe I should go back and ask Yuko-san...nah, I'll just start walking in the general direction and ask someone on the way. I'm sure everyone knows where the Kazekage's office is.'_

* * *

"Thank you very much o-jii-san," Yumi said as she bowed to the elderly gentleman who had insisted on escorting her to the office. 

He smiled, "It's no problem. It's not often that I get to be seen with such a pretty young thing," he responded before turning and shuffling away, laughing quietly to himself.

Yumi turned towards the entrance, chuckling at the man's comment. _'Pretty young thing, indeed,' _she thought, rolling her eyes as she entered.

Yumi looked around, surprised at the amount of activity in the Kazekage's office building. _'I don't remember there being this many people here before. Anyway what did he say? 'Let them know who you are'? Who are _they _anyway?' _she thought, looking around her. Then she noticed a woman across the room, seated behind a counter.

"Aha!" she muttered, making a beeline for the brunette. When she reached her, she said, "Excuse me. Could you tell me how to get to the Kazekage's office, please?"

"You'll have to wait. Kazekage-sama is - " The woman, who had replied without looking up, finally did and stopped when she recognized the symbol on Yumi's hitai-ite. "Oh, I'm sorry. Are you Saionji-san?"

Yumi smiled and nodded, "Yes, that's me."

"Well in that case, please follow me. I'll take you there myself," she began to rise from her seat behind the counter.

"You don't have to. You could just tell me where it is and I - "

"Trust me - you'd get lost. Now come on," the woman retorted frankly as she stepped out from behind the counter. Suddenly recalling just how big the building was, Yumi nodded and obediently followed the lady, taking note of the way so that she would be able to find it on her own the next day.

After climbing two flights of stairs and then making several twists and turns, they stopped in front of a rich, mahogany paneled door. "Here we are."

"Thank you very much, ma'am. You're right - I don't think I would have been able to find my way here on my own."

"You're welcome. Until tomorrow then. Good-bye Saionji-san," she said, turning to leave.

"Good-bye." Yumi watched until she was out of sight and then turned back to the door. Suddenly the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach seemed unbearable and she was surprised that she could even raise her hand to knock. She knocked tentatively, then waited for a few minutes but there was no response.

_'Perhaps I didn't knock hard enough,'_ Yumi thought as she raised her hand again and gave the wood three sharp raps that sounded clearly in the other room. She waited and again no answer came. Frowning now, she knocked once more - three sharp raps and then stepped back, waiting. When she received no answer again, Yumi frowned and then looked up and down before grasping the handle and opening the door.

The Kazekage's office was empty. _'He's not here,'_ Yumi thought as she walked into the room. _'Well I'll just wait for him here, I'm sure he won't mind.' _In reality, she wasn't sure at all but she preferred to stay in the room rather than return to the empty corridor.

The last time she was in his office, Yumi had not had a chance to observe the space and so she took this opportunity to look around. Gaara's office was sparsely decorated. In fact, the only pieces of furniture in the room consisted of a bookcase, a desk and a chair. _'One chair?'_ she noted, curiously, _'I hope I'm not going to have to stand for the next few hours_.' On top of the desk were several files and books.

Yumi moved over to the desk and peered at the book titles - "Blah blah blah law, blah blah blah politics, blah blah blah _marriage_?" Frowning, Yumi pulled the book out from under the others and read the title aloud, "Getting Ready for Marriage Workbook: How to Really Get to Know the Person You're Going to Marry," She re-read the title several times before laughing incredulously, "This can't _possibly_ be his. I mean, he's not even engaged, is he? No, I would definitely have heard about it. This must just be...a present for Kankurou-kun or something. Not that Kankurou-kun really needs any help getting to know Michiko-san."

Still curious however, Yumi flipped open the book and was just about to start reading the table of contents when she heard footsteps coming down the corridor. _'Crap!' _Hurriedly, she closed the book and shoved it underneath the pile where she had found it, frantically fixing it so that Gaara wouldn't notice that it had been interfered with. Then she straightened up and moved away from the desk, turning to face the door. The footsteps had stopped just outside it and she could hear voices but she couldn't decipher what they were saying.

* * *

"...and so you see, Kazekage-sama, why these reforms are necessary. They may seem a little extreme now but in the long run, they _will_ benefit the village." 

Gaara nodded, glancing longingly at the door of his office, eager to escape his prattling councilor, "Yes, Jiro-san, I will take what you said into consideration."

Jiro smiled, "That's very good to hear, sir."

Hoping that it would send a message to Jiro, Gaara walked forward and opened the door of his office, then froze, momentarily surprised to see Yumi there. He watched as she looked from him to Jiro and then bowed deeply to both of them, "Good afternoon Kazekage-sama, O-sama."

Gaara nodded at her, then turned his gaze to Jiro who had obviously recognized Yumi and was now trying very hard to stifle a smirk. Gaara decided to intervene before a conversation between the two of them could get underway, "Jiro-san, Saionji-san needs a chair."

"I will get one right away, my lord," Jiro rejoined as he turned to go.

Noting the all out grin on Jiro's face, Gaara frowned and stopped him with, "You would do well to remember what I said yesterday, Jiro - I have not changed my mind."

Jiro turned back, "As you wish, Kazekage-sama." Then he left, walking swiftly down the corridor.

Satisfied with Jiro's response (people very rarely disobeyed him), Gaara turned back to Yumi and entered his office, closing the door behind him.

"Ano, I took the liberty of letting myself in - I hope you don't mind," Yumi said, biting her lip and glancing guiltily in the direction of the pile of books.

Gaara looked at her and then shrugged dismissively - it didn't make any difference to him. "How long have you been here?"

Yumi blinked, "Just a few minutes."

Before Gaara could respond, there was a knock on the door and then Jiro entered, carrying a chair that looked similar to the one on which the receptionist had been seated. He set it down in front of the Kazekage's desk and then excused himself after Yumi uttered a quick word of thanks.

Gaara looked at Yumi who was hovering next to the chair and then said, "Sit and we'll begin."

* * *

An hour and a half later, Yumi and Gaara were working steadily together. Yumi had kept relatively quiet so far, not so much on account of her nerves (which seemed to have settled down somewhat) but more as a result of the assumption that Gaara was someone who valued silence and so she didn't really want to talk and bother him. 

She found herself pressed to speak however when a particular document made its' way into her pile. "Excuse me, Kazekage-sama," Gaara looked up, training his green eyes on her expectantly, "this is where you assign missions, right?"

He nodded.

"Well, would you like me to leave when you have to assign them?"

Gaara frowned in confusion, "Of course not. Why do you ask?"

"I thought you might not want me here since I'm from another village. I would understand if you wanted to keep those matters private."

Yumi saw a flash of recognition on Gaara's face and then it changed to something else. He sat up, eyeing her carefully and then said, "That will not be necessary. I trust you, Yumi-san."

Yumi's eyes widened in shock and she found herself blushing - she wasn't sure if it was on account of his words or the frankness with which he delivered them that caused her to react that way. She looked down at the papers in front of her, still flushed, _'What is wrong with me? He said he trusts me, not that he loves me!'_

But in all actuality, his statement was just as significant. For a shinobi to say those words to another shinobi, particularly one from another village (and a village which had only recently become your ally), well was beyond unusual - it was virtually unheard of. The first thing one learnt as a ninja was that you never really knew who you could trust so for him, a Kage of all people, to say that to her so matter-of-factly, well it was really no surprise that it came as a shock.

Aware that Gaara's eyes were still on her, she picked up the paper in front of her and forced herself to read it. However when Yumi realized that she had been reading the same line for the past five minutes as Gaara's words echoed around and around in her head, she decided that perhaps she needed to get some air. So as quietly as she could, she pulled her chair backwards and rose and then asked Gaara how to get to the bathroom.

* * *

By the time, she reached the bathroom, Yumi had calmed down considerably. _'I'm overreacting,' _she thought as she sat down on the toilet cover in an empty stall, _'He has to say that to me because of the new alliance. It would not look good for Suna if he acted suspicious of me. I don't know why I allowed myself to get so worked up about it,' _she thought, leaning back and sighing,_ 'I always do that.'_

All the same, she remained in the stall for a few more minutes until she was sure that her head had cleared and that she'd be able to return to work, then she got up, washed her hands and left the room. She began to return to Gaara's office only to realize after about ten different turns that she was lost.

"Why is this place so big?!" Yumi muttered in frustration as she turned another corner. But then, she lucked out because who should she see coming up that very corridor but the councilor that had been with Gaara earlier.

Relieved, she rushed over to him, "Ano, could you help me please? I seem to be lost."

Jiro looked up and couldn't believe his luck as he recognized the blonde in front of him and she was asking for his help too!_ 'Surely Kazekage-sama won't be upset with me for showing his lady to his office,' _Jiro thought craftily, '_and if I slip in a few questions while we walk, well he'll never know.' _

And so smiling graciously, he extended his arm to her, "Of course, Saionji-sama. I will gladly escort you to the Kazekage's office."

**A/N: **Merry Christmas! Thanks for reading! I hope this chapter was to your liking. I apologize if it's a bit filler-ish (my beta said so...) Btw, that marriage book is real and just in case you were wondering, Kankurou and Michiko aren't engaged but our dear puppeteer has made up his mind about proposing...


	13. A Little More Conversation

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 13**

**The Thirteenth Tale**

"So Saionji-sama," Jiro began slowly, glancing at the female in question, "how are you enjoying your stay in Suna?"

Yumi smiled graciously and prepared herself for the barrage of questions that was no doubt forthcoming, "Quite well, actually. I'm really enjoying it here."

"And how are you finding our people? I hope that they've been treating you well."

"Oh, you needn't worry. They've been very kind," she responded amiably. She had long ago perfected the art of sounding polite without coming off as cold and she employed it now, "I have gotten one or two cold looks but for the most part, the people have been very welcoming."

Jiro smiled and nodded - things were going good so far, "I'm pleased to hear that. How are you adjusting to the climate? The heat isn't too much for you?"

Yumi shook her head, "It was a bit overwhelming at first but I think I'm getting used to it."

"Good, good. Well I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that we will be getting some rain soon - the monsoon season is nearly upon us." Jiro grinned inwardly as he noted the spark that had suddenly appeared in Yumi's eyes.

"Really? Monsoon season, huh? I had forgotten all about that."

A few minutes passed in silence and then Jiro remarked as though out of the blue, "Ah, you are staying in the Kazekage's residence, no? How is that working out for you?"

Yumi smiled (a little enigmatically, he thought) and then opened her mouth to reply when someone stepped in front of them. "What are you doing, Jiro?"

Jiro frowned at the interruption and turned to the intruder, only to become alarmed when he recognized him. "B-Baki-san, I'm simply escorting Saionji-sama to the Kazekage's office."

"I'm sure," Baki responded, his face set in an even sterner expression than normal as he frowned in disapproval and obvious suspicion. Then he turned to Yumi and bowed deeply, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Saionji-sama. I am one of Kazekage-sama's councilors, Baki."

Yumi bowed back, "I can say the same, Baki-sama."

Then Baki stepped forward, "Saionji-sama, if you turn left at the next corner, it will take you to Kazekage-sama's office. You will have to excuse Jiro-san and I – we have serious matters to discuss," he continued, eyeing Jiro with ill-concealed irritation.

Yumi nodded, "Oh, of course. Thank you for your help - both of you. Good-bye." She stepped forward and started walking away, then soon disappeared around the corner.

After Yumi's footsteps had faded into the distance, Baki turned to Jiro, "Care to explain yourself, Jiro?"

Jiro frowned stubbornly, "I did nothing wrong. Saionji-sama asked me for help and I assisted her. Surely you can't blame me for that?"

Baki considered Jiro for a few minutes before turning away and remarking, "Of course not. In that case, I suppose you won't mind if I inform Kazekage-sama of your actions. Surely he won't blame you either. Perhaps he'll even reward you," he finished disparagingly and made as if to walk away.

Behind him, Jiro paled, "Ah – ah, Baki-san, I really don't think that's necessary. I mean, Kazekage-sama doesn't need to know everything, does he?"

Baki stopped at the top of the corridor and looked back, "You see Jiro, that is where we disagree. I believe that he does – and I am quite certain that he'll be very interested in this." And with those final, chilling words, he rounded the corner and disappeared.

Jiro sighed, _'Of all the people to see me, it had to be him. Now I've got to come up with some sort of excuse but what?!'_

* * *

Gaara looked up as Yumi re-entered his office. She had been rather long in returning and he had begun to wonder what had kept her back but he kept silent as she entered the room and took her seat.

He didn't have to wait long to find out however because almost as soon as she was seated, she said, "I'm very sorry, Kazekage-sama for taking so long - I got lost." He nodded and returned to his gaze to his papers but apparently she wasn't done. "A-ano, I just wanted to apologize also because I know I haven't been of very much help so far. You'll have to excuse me though - it's just because it's my first day. I'll surely get better!"

He returned his gaze to her and nodded. He hoped it would be enough to reassure her but the uncertainty was apparent in her eyes so he added, "I do not doubt that you will."

The first sign that his words had their intended effect was the way that her eyes lit up after he spoke, then the radiant smile that graced her face immediately afterward was definite proof. As if eager to prove him right, she gathered up the papers and started to peruse them swiftly and although he knew that he should do the same, he couldn't help but continue to admire her.

His eyes traced her features slowly and it occurred to him that she would be considered by many to be quite beautiful. He was also of this belief but for him, beauty would not be enough. In no time at all, it would fade and then what would she be left with? No - to impress him, she would need to possess a myriad of things and beauty, though one of them, was certainly nowhere near the top of the list.

Yumi looked up again and met his eyes, her countenance puzzled and more than a little unnerved by his steady contemplation of her, "Do you want something, Kazekage-sama?"

He averted his eyes, frowning as he tried to think up an excuse and then it came to him, "You seem to have become quite well acquainted with my brother."

She smiled, "I couldn't help it - your brother's quite personable."

Gaara would have been annoyed by this statement, had he not been too busy being completely shocked. "I am sure that you are the first person to say that."

Yumi laughed and he found that he actually liked the sound - her laughter was clear and carrying but not overly loud and it certainly didn't grate on the ears like so many other people's. "Really? I find that hard to believe. But you know the real reason I've latched on to your brother like that?"

Gaara shook his head - how could he?

"Well, he reminds me a bit of my own brother, Jien. You haven't met him, have you?"

Gaara shook his head, "He was not present during the treaty talks."

"Oh, you're right...He stayed behind to help run things."

Gaara raised a non-existent eyebrow, "You talk about him a lot."

"Do I? I'm sorry - it's just that we're very close, despite the fact that he drives me crazy."

Gaara cocked his head, "You mean you don't get along?"

"No, not really. You see he's always encouraging me to...ugh, what does he say? - 'act as my station accords' - that's it!" she scoffed, "Really! He's such an old man sometimes. He thinks I'm altogether too childish and that I don't take things seriously and that I've got absolutely no sense of occasion and...I probably shouldn't even be telling you this right now. Way to put my best foot forward," she muttered, looking down suddenly, causing her hair to fall forward and hide her mortified expression.

As such, she missed the phantom smile that appeared on Gaara's lips. She was interesting, he had to give her that. _'Although_,' he thought, sobering up swiftly,_ 'that behaviour will have to cease once we are married. She cannot act like that in formal settings.'_

Finally she looked up again, "I'm sorry - I'm yet to master the art of polite conversation. You'll have to forgive me."

He nodded but it did nothing to reassure her as she caught the serious expression on his face. Yumi looked away quickly from his seemingly reproachful gaze and her eyes fell instantly upon the marriage book. And eager to change the subject, she said, "I've been meaning to ask you Kazekage-sama, are you engaged?"

Gaara's face betrayed nothing but inwardly he couldn't have been more surprised, "Why do you ask?"

"The book," Yumi replied, flushing as she gestured to the pile on the table.

Gaara's eyes narrowed as he redirected his gaze towards the wretched tome, _'I knew I should have thrown that out as soon as Kankurou brought it here,'_ he thought furiously. What he said was, "Kankurou bought it...and left it here."

"I thought as much. It doesn't really seem like something Kankurou-kun would read though...Hmm, so are you pleased?"

He shifted his eyes back to her, "About what?"

"Kankurou-kun and Michiko-san's engagement."

He frowned, "They're not engaged yet."

"They will be when Kankurou-kun proposes."

Gaara continued to frown - she said it so matter-of-factly. It wasn't that he doubted the fact, it was just that she spoke of it as though it were already happening. "Michiko-san could say no."

"She could, but she won't."

"You don't know that."

"No, I can't be sure but I've got a pretty good idea. Do you think she'll say no?"

Gaara shook his head and she continued, smiling, "Well neither do I. So if you think about it, they're practically engaged already. All Kankurou-kun has to do now is propose."

Nodding, he turned away and looked out of the window at the sand swirling over the village, "He'll do it soon."

Yumi's expression transformed to one of surprise, "Did he tell you that?"

Gaara shook his head and turned back to her, "It is customary in the Sand Village to propose marriage on the night of the first monsoon of the season. By the looks of it, that's only a few days away," he continued, rising from his seat and walking over to the window.

Yumi cocked her head and then spoke contemplatively, "Kankurou-kun doesn't strike me as one to follow traditions."

"He is not, but he will follow this one," he responded, his back still turned to her, in the authoritative tone of voice that she was only now coming to associate with him. It was like a subtle rebuke every time she heard it because it always reminded her with whom she was conversing. He was the Kazekage and he would not let her forget it.

Yumi knew that she should end the conversation but there was one thing that she was still curious about it, "Why that night?"

"The first monsoon signals the return of the rains to our village and naturally, water is of great importance here. In addition, water represents life and fertility."

"Interesting..." she muttered, looking off into the distance. It was becoming more and more apparent to her that everything done in Sunagakure was done for a reason - everything had a purpose, everything made sense. They were very serious people, so unlike herself.

Gaara monitored her from his seat, watching the way her eyes lit up with curiosity. He decided that he liked her eyes, particularly how expressive they were. She turned back and caught him watching her and he spoke immediately to prevent her from getting an opportunity to even contemplate his behaviour, "You still haven't told me how your brother and mine are alike. From your description, you seem more like Kankurou than he does."

She smiled but it was not reflected in her eyes, "Oh, they've got similar senses of humour, that's all. Jien can be a lot of fun when he loosens up." Then to his surprise, she added, "Well anyway, we've got work to do, right? I think I've distracted you long enough."

He nodded and they both returned to their separate tasks but Gaara couldn't help wondering what it was that caused her to end their conversation so abruptly. He stole a glance at her and found her bent over, studying the paper in front of her intently. It was obvious that they still had a long way to go but Gaara contented himself with the knowledge that at least, they finally seemed to be getting somewhere.

**A/N: **Happy New Year! I wanted to start it off on a good note so I'm updating! I've got chapter 14 written but I've still got some editing to do and I really want to post Chapters 14 and 15 up together. **PLEASE REVIEW! **I hope this chapter was to your liking. Jiro seems to have gotten himself into some serious hot water but on the bright side, it looks like the Kazekage and his soon-to-be lady are starting to sort things out...Wonder what will happen next! See you soon! Maki


	14. Everybody Says I Love You

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 14**

Michiko stifled a yawn as she made her way through the streets of The Village Hidden in The Sand. She had just finished a grueling training session and she was exhausted. But instead of going home as one would expect, she was headed to the Kazekage's residence.

_'When did I start spending more time at Kankurou's house than my own? At this rate, I'll need my own room in the Kazekage's residence!' _she thought, laughing softly to herself. She stopped however when something occurred to her, _'Maybe we spend _too_ much time together. Kankurou's probably getting sick of me and he just doesn't want to tell me,' _she paused mid-step,_ 'Who am I kidding? He'd tell me,' _she added, rolling her eyes as she resumed walking.

Still her previous mirth disappeared, _'All the same, I think I'll go home instead. I can always see Kankurou another day. Besides,' _she thought as she looked up at the clouds gathering over the village, '_I'd rather be home when the storm hits.' _She was about to turn around and start home when she heard someone call her name.

"Michiko - san!" Michiko turned around and saw Yumi coming up the street, struggling under the weight of several bags.

"Hey. Let me get that for you," Michiko said as she reached out and took two of the bags that Yumi was holding.

"Thanks. You're a God-send. I hope I'm not bothering you - where were you headed?" Yumi said as Michiko fell into step beside her.

Michiko shrugged, "Same place as you. What's all this stuff for anyway?" She asked as she peered into a bag and saw various food items.

"Huh? Oh, I promised to cook for Gaara-sama a long time ago and tonight I've decided to make good on my promise. So I stopped by the market on my way back from the Academy and picked up some stuff."

"Some stuff? It looks like you bought the whole market!" Michiko exclaimed, laughing.

Yumi smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, well when I got there, I realized that I have no clue what Gaara-sama likes to eat. So I kinda went crazy and just bought everything in sight. But considering that the cupboards in the Kazekage's residence aren't exactly well stocked, I don't think it'll be a problem."

Michiko laughed, "No surprise there. But wait a second, I thought that you were working with Kazekage-sama on afternoons now. What are you doing here?"

"I was expressly ordered by the Kazekage not to come in today. Because of the monsoon, he said."

Michiko frowned, "That doesn't make sense. Gaara-sama should want to finish as much work as he can since he's gonna lose a day tomorrow." At Yumi's confused look, Michiko continued, "It always floods after a monsoon."

"Is that so? Well, that explains why the kids were so restless today. Anyway I don't know what he's thinking – he's quite a mystery."

Michiko noted the frown on Yumi's face and decided that now would be a good time to change the subject, "You know, I can fill you in on Kazekage-sama's likes and dislikes food-wise – if you want."

At her words, Yumi brightened up somewhat, "That would be great - I was so afraid that I'd end up making a whole bunch of stuff and it would just be things he hated. You really are a lifesaver. I'm so glad I ran into you." She finished speaking just as they reached the house.

As Yumi approached the door to open it, she saw that there was something stuck on it. On closer inspection, she realized that it was a kunai with a note attached. She dropped her bags and pulled out the kunai, flicking open the note as she did.

By the time she was done reading the note, Michiko had opened the door and was already on her way to the kitchen. She stuck the kunai and note in her pouch, picked up the rest of the bags and followed Michiko to the kitchen, closing the door with her foot.

"What was that?" Michiko asked Yumi as she walked in and placed the bags on the counter.

Yumi kept her face turned away from Michiko so that she wouldn't see the grin on her face, "It was a note from Kankurou-kun. He said to tell you to stay here if you stopped by because he's got something for you."

Michiko looked thoughtful, "He's got something for me? Why didn't he just leave it by the door or something?"

Yumi shrugged and tried to keep her expression innocent, "Well, perhaps it's something important."

"Hmm, maybe. I doubt it though."

Yumi grinned, amused and surprised that Michiko didn't even seem to suspect Kankurou's intentions, "Maybe he just wants to see you."

Michiko smiled, a little wistfully, "That would be just like him. He can never just come out and say something."

Both Yumi's voice and expression conveyed her surprise, "Kankurou-kun?"

Michiko glanced at her and then seeing her expression, tried to clarify, "I know it seems like he just says whatever comes to his mind and most of the time, he does but when it comes to personal things, he always finds some way around it," she sighed, "He's never even said that he loves me."

"Oh but, you know that he does."

Michiko shrugged, "Yeah, I know. He doesn't have to tell me...but - "

"You'd like to hear it?" Yumi finished for her. Michiko nodded and then broke eye contact by looking down, her expression unusually solemn. After a few seconds, she looked up and gave Yumi a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "Anyway, that's just how he is - I understand. And now that we're done unpacking, it's time to decide what we're going to make."

Yumi nodded, "Well first you've got to – "

"Hey! Anybody home?"

Kankurou's voice drifted to the women's ears and Michiko frowned at the interruption, "I'll go see what he wants and then I'll be right back, ok? So hold that thought!"

With that, she left and entered the living room where Kankurou was just about to drop into the armchair. Before she could even open her mouth however, he said, "Catch," and threw something at her. She caught it deftly and looked down to see a light blue box in her hands.

"A present, Kankurou? What's the occasion?" she asked as she sat down on the couch to open it. The conversation she'd just had with Yumi had sobered her up and so she was a lot less enthusiastic than she would usually be at this rare occurrence.

All the same, she began inspecting the box carefully and so she didn't notice the nervous expression on Kankurou's usually carefree face. He forced himself to look relaxed and took a seat on the couch next to her.

"No occasion – I just…wanted to get you something."

Michiko looked up again and smiled at him, suddenly feeling guilty about what she'd said in the kitchen - after all, she had no reason to doubt Kankurou's feelings for her.

"Thanks," she said softly before returning her attention to the box in her hands. When she spoke next, it was with much more enthusiasm, "Okay so...judging from this box, I'd say it's jewelery. Now I'm really surprised - Kankurou you've never bought me jewelery before!"

Kankurou frowned, "That's not true! What about the necklace I bought you for your sixteenth birthday?"

Michiko turned to him, "You mean the _candy_ necklace?"

He chuckled, "Oh right. That was a good joke though." After seeing the glare Michiko was sending him however, he mumbled, "Guess it wasn't. Anyway come on. Open it!"

"Alright relax. You'd think _you_ were getting the present, not me. Ok. Could it be a bracelet," Michiko said as she started unwrapping the box, "or a necklace?"

Michiko frowned in confusion, "Another box? There is an actual gift in here, right? This isn't another joke like that candy necklace."

"Trust me Michiko," Kankurou said in a somewhat strained voice, 'this is no laughing matter."

Michiko looked over at Kankurou and furrowed her eyebrows quizzically upon witnessing the tense expression on his face, "Are you alright? You're acting really weird."

He shook his head, "Yeah sure, I'm fine. It's nothing, really. Just open it."

Michiko studied him for a few seconds more before turning back to the box, "Okay so this box is too small to have a bracelet or a necklace inside so I guess it could be a pair of earrings or even...a ring?"

The second box was finally open and there inside it was a silver ring topped with a translucent crystal that was winking merrily at Michiko. Kankurou held his breath and stared at Michiko who blinked...once...twice...three times. Then she turned to him, "Kankurou, is this a _normal_ ring or - or another kind?"

He locked eyes with her, "It's an engagement ring."

He watched as her eyes widened, "Di - did you know that when you bought it?"

Kankurou resisted the urge to roll his eyes, "Yes. I _wanted_ an engagement ring. You know what day it is, don't you?"

Amazingly, her eyes widened even more and her voice took on a dazed tone as she finally understood, "The first monsoon." Nodding, he moved closer and kissed her passionately before pulling back, grinning that annoying Cheshire cat grin of his and saying, "Exactly. So you'll marry me, right, Michiko?"

To his surprise and horror, she turned away and stared at the kitchen door. _'What the - ?' _It was Kankurou's turn to look dazed as Michiko continued looking firmly away from him, shaking slightly - it had never occurred to him that she would refuse.

"Look Michiko, before you say - " He stopped as a familiar sound reached his ears and he realized with a jolt that she was laughing. He cocked an eyebrow quizzically - that had to be a good sign, right?

Still laughing, Michiko turned back to him. "Kankurou," she said as she moved her hand up and stroked his cheek, "You don't have to _convince_ me." She moved forward and kissed him quickly before whispering, "I would've said yes anyway."

Michiko gasped as she found herself the recipient of a bone-crushing hug and then started laughing again as a new thought struck her, _'Looks like I'll be needing my own room in the Kazekage's residence after all.'_

* * *

Yumi smiled brightly from her spot against the kitchen door. She, of course, hadn't any doubts that Michiko would consent to the engagement.

It occurred to her then that Kankurou and Michiko would probably want their privacy and so she decided to vacate the premises for a little while. _'Guess I'll be cooking alone,' _Yumi thought as she slipped out into the hall and tried to tip-toe past the living room. She didn't get very far however before Michiko spotted her.

"Yumi–san! I totally forgot about you – I'm sorry. Come in."

Reluctant to interrupt, Yumi simply poked her head into the living room, "Hey guys. It's okay – I can understand if you forgot about me. You were a little busy."

"She said yes," Kankurou said, grinning like an idiot as he pulled Michiko closer to him.

Yumi smiled, "I heard. Let me be the first to say congratulations."

"Thanks a lot," Michiko said and Yumi was pleased to see that the sadness in her eyes had disappeared completely. After all, what surer confirmation of Kankurou's feelings could she need?

Then Kankurou looked around, "Hey, is Gaara here? Aren't you two working together now?"

"Yes but he's still at the office. He told me not to come in today."

Suddenly, Michiko turned to Kankurou, "Kan-kun, I have a mission for you." Looking interested, Kankurou nodded and she continued, "You have to find a way to get your brother out of his office and back here by eight o' clock. Do you accept this mission?"

Kankurou grinned and nodded again, "I accept."

"Well then, you better get going – you've only got a few hours."

Kankurou nodded but did not relinquish his hold on her, his reluctance to leave obvious. He turned to Yumi and tried to gesture subtly towards the door, "Uh, Yumi-san?"

Smiling, Yumi moved back, "I got it. I'll just be in the kitchen," she added as she turned and returned to the kitchen.

Once Yumi was gone, Kankurou turned back to his fiance, "Aren't you going to put on your ring?" he said, gesturing to the open box still in her hand.

Michiko smiled and held her hand out to him, "I think you should do the honours."

Kankurou slipped the ring out of the box and onto her finger, then pulled her closer to him. Smiling fondly, Michiko placed her head on his chest and snuggled closer to him. "You know, you freaked me out for a second there, Michiko."

She raised her face upward so that she could see him better, "What are you talking about?"

Unable to resist, he stole a kiss before answering, "You looked away. I thought that meant that you were going to say no."

Her eyes widened and she looked away, "I'm sorry - I just didn't want you to see me laughing because I thought you'd think I wasn't taking you seriously. I just thought it was so funny that you were trying to convince me." Then she turned back to him and her voice lowered considerably, "You know how I feel about you."

He frowned and his eyes locked onto hers, his expression serious once again, "You know how I feel about you too, don't you?" Then he moved forward, searching her eyes, "Or do you need to hear it?"

He saw the flicker of alarm and then the guilt, "You heard that? I'm sorry - just...forget I said it."

"No," he replied, moving even closer to her, "It bothers you, doesn't it? I'll say it if you want me to."

She sighed, "That's exactly it - I don't want you to say it because I want you to. I want you to say it because _you_ want to."

He opened his mouth to retort and sensing the onset of an argument, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly. When they pulled apart, she said, "I know you love me, Kankurou. You don't have to say anything."

He considered her for a moment, unsure, then sighed, "All right, Michiko-chan, if you say so."

She smiled affectionately, then kissed him, "Come on, smile! (another kiss) We're getting married. (one more) Aren't you happy? (a slow, long one) I know I am."

"You have to ask?" he muttered, tightening his hold around her before responding intensely to her ministrations.

They would probably have remained glued together for quite some time had Yumi's voice, deliberately loud, not drifted over to them, "I really want to start cooking - only I don't know what I'm making. I could reeeeeeally use some help!"

Sighing, Michiko pulled away from Kankurou, "That's my cue - and yours. Sorry Kan-kun."

"She can wait for a little while longer. You don't have to go yet, Michiko-chan," he murmured, pulling her back.

She rolled her eyes, "We're engaged now, Kankurou. Trust me - we'll have plenty of moments like this in the future - _uninterrupted_ moments but right now, we both have other places to be."

He kissed her once more and then released her so that she could stand. "Fine. I'll see you later Michiko," Kankurou said as he stood, stretching.

"Bye," she replied, kissing him on the cheek. Then they separated - Michiko headed to the kitchen and Kankurou left the house and started making his way to his brother's office.

**A/N: **Hey hey. So I know that I said that I was posting Chapters 14 and 15 together but I changed the layout so that's no longer necessary. School started back so my updates will take longer, although I'm working on having Chapters 15, 16 and 17 probably by the next few weeks. Now REVIEW and tell me what you thought. Not too corny, I hope?


	15. The Perfect Storm

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 15**

**Dedicated to Gaara - his birthday's tomorrow!**

Gaara looked up as a knock sounded on his office door. "Enter," he called quietly and put down the mission report that he had been reading. The door opened and Baki stepped in, closed the door behind him and walked to the middle of the room.

"Kazekage-sama," Baki greeted, bowing deeply.

"What is it, Baki?" Gaara replied. He was in no mood for formalities – it was getting darker outside and he really wanted to get home before the storm broke. He despised rain.

"Last week, I came upon Jiro-san escorting Saionji-sama to your office. They were conversing and although what I overheard sounded innocent, I have no doubt that Jiro intended to question her about you."

Gaara's eyes narrowed dangerously_, 'I explicitly_ _ordered him not to speak_ _with her - __**twice**_.' He certainly wasn't about to let Jiro get away with such blatant disrespect. He responded to Baki, attempting to keep the irritation out of his voice, "Is he still here?"

"Yes. He's in his office. Do you want me to get him for you?"

Gaara shook his head – he didn't want to confront Jiro just yet. He had to decide on a suitable punishment first. "No. You may go. Thank you for informing me."

Baki bowed again and began to exit when Gaara called him back, "Tell Jiro not to leave. Let him know that I wish to speak with him."

Baki nodded and departed, leaving a seething Gaara behind. There was nothing that he disliked more than disobedience. Frowning, he picked up the mission report once again – as displeased as he was, he couldn't deal with Jiro immediately. He had to finish the reports first.

However, another interruption arrived approximately five minutes later, in the form of his older brother. Kankurou entered the room without knocking (as usual) and sank into the chair that Yumi usually occupied, grinning from ear to ear.

Gaara glanced up at him and then, forgoing a greeting altogether, said, "Congratulations."

"Thanks. I just told Baki."

"What did he say?"

"Well you know Baki. He gave me this long lecture about how love has two effects on ninjas – it can make us strong or weak. He said and I quote, '_if you know what's good for you, you'll make sure it makes you stronger – both of you'_."

"So no congratulations?"

Kankurou chuckled and shook his head, "I guess that was his way of saying it."

Gaara nodded and then returned the report to the pile in front of him before looking back at his brother, a spark of curiousity visible in his eyes, "Why are you here and not with Michiko?"

Kankurou scoffed, "Trust me – it's not because I don't want to be. I was sent here to fetch you."

"Why?"

"The women are making us a feast."

To Gaara, that entire sentence defied logic. Skepticism apparent in his every action, he replied, "A feast?" When Kankurou nodded eagerly, he continued, "Why?"

"To celebrate the engagement, I guess. Hey! We could celebrate yours too – we'd just have to keep it between us though."

Gaara shrugged, "I don't think I'm ready to celebrate my engagement yet." As he uttered the sentence, his mind ran on Yumi and then by default, Jiro's defiance returned to the forefront of his thoughts.

Kankurou noted the frown on his brother's face and was immediately filled with concern, "Hey. Are you still worried about Yumi-san?"

Gaara shook his head. "No, it's not that," he replied before filling his brother in on his current source of aggravation.

"Well why don't you finish up here and let me deal with Jiro-san – I'll make sure he gets the message," Kankurou suggested, grinning deviously.

Gaara considered his brother's proposal for a moment before shaking his head, "No, I have to do it. Besides, I haven't given him a chance to explain himself."

"You won't punish him if he's got a good explanation?"

Gaara sent his brother a look that obviously meant that he thought him not right in his head, "Of course, I will. He undermined my authority - I do not intend to tolerate insubordination. However it's only fair that I allow him to answer for his actions."

"So are you going to do that today or what? 'Cause we're supposed to get back by eight and it's already a quarter to seven."

Gaara frowned and motioned to the pile on his desk, "I have to finish these first, then deal with Jiro. After that, we can leave."

Kankurou sighed and reluctantly held his hand out, "Guess I'll be filling in as your assistant today."

Smirking, Gaara separated the pile into halves and then handed a stack of papers to his brother, "This is what you have to do…"

* * *

Jiro was seated behind the desk in his office, staring blankly at a piece of paper while wondering how he would explain himself to the Kazekage. 

"Oi! Jiro-sama!" Jiro jerked his head upwards as a rough voice broke through his thoughts and came face to face with Kankurou.

"Ah, Kankurou-kun. Did your brother send you?"

Kankurou nodded, then moved over to the doorway, "Yeah, he's up there waiting for you."

Looking grim, Jiro rose and left the room, Kankurou a few steps behind him. Their footsteps echoed through the empty halls of the Kazekage's office building - it appeared that they were the only ones left there, a fact that Jiro found rather distressing. He also found no comfort in the fact that Kankurou was merrily whistling a tune which sounded an awful lot like the Sand's funeral march.

Too soon, they arrived at Gaara's office and Jiro grasped the door handle before opening it. He entered the room, keeping his head down and waited while Kankurou entered behind him and shut the door before going to stand behind his brother.

Jiro bowed deeply before finally looking up at his leader – Gaara's expression was impassive as usual but Jiro was certain that he sensed an ominous aura coming from him. "Good evening Kazekage-sama."

Never one to waste time, Gaara plunged right in to the issue, "I trust you know why you're here. Explain."

Jiro took a deep breath, "Saionji-sama came up to me and asked me to help her. She said she was lost so I offered to show her to your office. While on the way, I asked her about her stay here, then Baki interrupted us when we had almost reached your office. He gave Saionji-sama instructions to your office, then asked her to excuse us. You should know, Kazekage-sama, that I honestly did not seek her out – she came to me and I did not think that you would approve of my denying her request. I know that I disobeyed you by conversing with her but I can assure you that our exchange was totally innocent."

Gaara remained silent for a short while, his expression unchanging, then, "All right, Jiro. If Saionji-san did, in fact, ask for your help, then you were right to assist her."

Jiro blinked rapidly as relief filled him – he hadn't expected Gaara to be so understanding. "Thank you, Kazekage-sama, I – "

Gaara held up his hand to stop him, "That does not change the fact that you disobeyed a direct command. However I will take your explanation into consideration when deciding on your punishment."

Jiro sighed, _'I knew it was too good to be true.'_ "Of course. I understand, my lord."

Gaara nodded, "The day after the monsoon, I will inform you of your punishment. You are dismissed."

Jiro bowed and said, "Good evening." before turning and leaving the room. When he was gone, Kankurou turned to his brother, "So what are you going to do to him?"

Gaara shrugged, "Ban him from council activities."

Kankurou's eyes widened, "Really? That seems a bit harsh - he _was_ just helping her out, after all."

Gaara stood up, "He will be re-instated in a week or two."

Kankurou nodded, "Well in that case..."

Gaara picked up his stuff and moved around his desk to the centre of the room, "Let's go, Kankurou. It's almost eight o' clock."

"You're right," Kankurou said as he made to leave, "we wouldn't want to keep our wives waiting after all," he added before dissolving into peals of laughter at the look on Gaara's face.

* * *

Yumi stopped cutting vegetables and looked out the window at the cloudy night sky - a rare sight in Suna and then turned back to Michiko, her expression concerned, "Ano, Michiko-san, I appreciate your help but don't you think that you should leave now? It sounds like it's going to come down any minute." 

Michiko glanced at the window, then at her, "Don't worry - I'll probably just spend the night here."

"Oh. Do you do that often?"

"No, not really. But considering how many times Kankurou's crashed at my place, I think I deserve a little hospitality," Michiko replied, chuckling softly. She glanced at Yumi and upon witnessing her puzzled expression, decided to elaborate, "Whenever Kankurou and Temari-san had a fight - a big one, not their usual, little spats - he'd spend the night at my place."

"Well, you have an apartment, right? It's not as though he's putting you out."

Michiko laughed, "I'm not talking about now - I'm talking about when we were younger and I was still living with my parents."

Yumi's mouth formed into a little 'O' of surprise.

"Exactly. I can remember the first time he did too. We were about eighteen at the time and apparently Temari-san found him holed up in his room with one of his ex-girlfriends and well, suffice it to say, she wasn't pleased. So he left, to postpone the blowout that he knew was coming and came to my house - popped right into my room with absolutely no warning. I nearly stabbed him with a kunai."

Yumi laughed, "Seriously?! Then what happened?"

"For one, he ended up getting two lectures instead of one because I was just as displeased as Temari-san was when I found out just why he didn't want to go home. This was long before we were together, of course, but I still couldn't believe he'd do that! Anyway I doubt that my lecture was quite as effective as hers though considering that I had to whisper the whole thing."

After suppressing a few giggles, Yumi asked, "So did you guys get caught?"

Michiko's eyes widened and she shook her head furiously, "I don't even want to think about what would have happened if we had been,' she paused for a moment and let out a deep sigh, "My father doesn't really like Kankurou - he tolerates him 'cause he knows I like him but he honestly can't stand him."

"And now you're getting married?"

"Yeah, gotta break that to him gently. Anyway - "

"Wait," Yumi interrupted before Michiko could dive into the story again, "Why doesn't he like him? Because you're dating?"

"No, not really." She breathed in slowly before continuing, "When we were younger, Kankurou had a bit of an attitude, well more than a bit I guess, and he was a little rude…and cocky so naturally my father didn't like him. He's different now - warmer, kinder. He grew up, you know but my dad doesn't really want to hear that. He's made up his mind and he's sticking with it."

"Oh. Sorry," Yumi replied, beginning to regret pressing the issue.

"It's ok. Anyway, ugh, what was I saying? Um..."

"Did you get caught?"

"Right! Well, we did get found once by my mother. This wasn't that time - it was quite awhile later actually and I think it happened because we got comfortable or _I_ got comfortable - it never seemed to bother him. Usually I stayed up those nights to make sure that Kankurou left before my parents woke up but that night, I had a mission the next day so I had to get some sleep and I forgot that I had asked my mother to come and wake me up so I wouldn't be late."

"And she came in to wake you up and found Kankurou there?"

"Exactly. Well, she's a little bit more understanding than my father so instead of making a big scene, she woke me up, dragged me downstairs to the kitchen and demanded I explain what was going on. I did and although she did not approve of it, she didn't punish me or tell my father or anything."

"Wow! Your mother sounds really understanding."

"Well, she loves Kankurou – maybe even more than me," Michiko replied, laughing again.

"Even with the attitude and everything?"

Michiko chuckled, "No. I think she really warmed up to him when…" she trailed off then and quite suddenly her face fell.

"Michiko-san? What's wrong?"

Michiko shook her head, attempting to regain her previous mood, "Sorry. It's – I was going to say that, um, Kankurou really won my mother over when Kazuma died."

Yumi cocked her head - the name was quite foreign to her, "Kazuma?"

"My older brother."

Yumi's eyes widened, "Oh, I'm sorry. Was he a shinobi?"

Michiko nodded, "Yeah. But he didn't die on a mission. He was killed on lookout duty. It was," she paused for a second just to breathe, "it was really sudden and my parents and I, we didn't take it very well. But Kankurou – he was there for me. It really took me by surprise too because I'd never seen that side of him before – his caring side."

"Really?"

Michiko nodded, still stirring, her eyes growing more and more distant as she retreated to the plane of memory, "Yeah. He kept me company and he listened to me and he talked to me and I needed that then. I needed to feel like things weren't totally screwed up and that there was still something normal left. The strangest part was that we weren't even that close at the time so I really didn't expect him to be there like that...I don't know, he's just full of surprises sometimes."

There was a small, wistful smile on her face when she spoke next, "He acts tough and he pretends that he doesn't care but he does - really. He's a great guy, Kankurou and for all his faults, I still love him. You know, sometimes I think I don't deserve him and sometimes I think he doesn't deserve me," she finished, chuckling.

Yumi smiled, "You're really lucky, you know that. I wish that I - "

"I'm back!" Kankurou shouted as he and Gaara entered the house. In the kitchen, Yumi and Michiko jumped and then turned towards the door just in time to see Kankurou enter. "Hey. How's the food coming along?"

Yumi smiled, "Good. We're almost done. Did you complete your mission?"

Kankurou nodded, "Of course. Gaara just went upstairs to change."

Yumi nodded, "Hmm, you know that reminds me – I'll be right back," Yumi responded before slipping noiselessly out of the room.

Kankurou watched her go, then turned back to Michiko, narrowing his eyes suddenly. He'd picked up on her mood the moment he entered the room. "Michiko," he said quietly as he leaned against the counter - there was a question wrapped up in her name and she picked up on it immediately.

She glanced at him and smiled, "I'm fine." _'Now that you're here.'_

He nodded but still looked uncertain.

"Here, taste this," Michiko took a spoon and dipped it into the soup, then held it out to him.

He took it from her and tasted it. She waited for a comment or reaction but none came. "Well? How does it taste?"

Kankurou slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her before she could protest, "What do you think?"

Michiko smiled despite herself, then sighed and buried her head in his chest, "That you can be a real idiot sometimes," she muttered into his shoulder.

Kankurou moved back, just enough to see her face, "Hey. What is it?"

She sighed again and looked down, "I was just thinking about Kazuma."

Understanding dawned on his face and he slipped his other arm around her. Silently she embraced him, resting her head on his chest and taking comfort in the fact that even after all those years, he was still there.

Minutes passed and they remained silent, drawing warmth and comfort from each other. Then Michiko pulled back, "I was thinking about you too." Knowing she had his full attention, she continued, "And I realized just how stupid what I said was. You've done more than enough to show me how you feel about me so can we just forget about what I said this afternoon?"

Kankurou raised an eyebrow, "_Everything_ you said?"

She smiled and shook her head, "Just the bad stuff."

"No objections here," he replied, moving in to kiss her.

"Wait!" she said, holding a hand out to him to stop him.

He stopped, "What?"

"The soup - it'll burn if I don't start stirring it again. Sorry," she explained, moving to turn away.

"Michiko."

She turned back to him, "Yeah?"

"Let it burn," he responded, moving closer to her once again and this time when he moved forward, he met with no resistance.

* * *

Yumi sighed - as happy as she was for Kankurou and Michiko, seeing them together was starting to make her feel as though something was missing from her own life. 

"What are you doing, Yumi-san?"

Yumi straightened up immediately and turned away from the kitchen door to face Gaara, her countenance guilty, "Nothing. Nothing of any importance anyway."

He frowned and glanced from her to the kitchen but didn't ask any questions. Instead he said, "Kankurou said you were cooking."

Yumi nodded and jumped on to the topic, eager to change the subject, "Yeah! We made a ton of stuff - Michiko-san and I. We decided to split the dinner so I made half of the dishes and she made the other half. She suggested I make some dishes from back home so you guys can get a taste of where I come from. I just hope they retain the authentic flavour - I didn't have all of the ingredients here."

"I'm sure they will," Gaara responded, noting the way she bit her lip in consternation as she thought anxiously about the food.

Yumi returned her gaze to him and looked away almost as soon as she met his eyes - she still couldn't handle the intensity she saw there. She'd never seen anyone with eyes like that - and those black rings...

"Ano, how was your day at work?"

The frown returned to his face then, set deeper than before, "Irritating."

She blinked, eyes instantly widening with concern, "Why? Did something happen?" She was surprised - things had been fairly routine since she'd began working with him.

It was then that he recognized the mistake in answering truthfully. Lucky for him, he didn't have to provide Yumi with an answer because just then Kankurou and Michiko emerged from the kitchen, grinning broadly.

"We're leaving," Kankurou said, immediately starting to make his way towards the front door.

"What!" Yumi exclaimed, "I thought you decided to celebrate here."

Michiko rolled her eyes and pulled Kankurou back, "He omitted some information, namely the fact that we're coming back. We're just going to my apartment to get some things since I'm spending the night here - if that's all right with you, Kazekage-sama," she added, bowing deeply.

Gaara nodded, "Of course Michiko-san. You know that you're always welcome here." She bestowed a gracious smile on him and spurred by that, he continued, "And congratulations."

"Thank you - I'm proud to become a part of your family." Just then a loud clap of thunder sounded and Kankurou started to pull her to the door again, "Come on Michiko - we've got to hurry. You can continue this conversation later."

"Okay, hold on - Yumi-chan, I turned the heat off of the stove, the rest of the food's done and since Kankurou professes to be starving, it'd probably be a good idea if you set the table while we're gone so that we can eat as soon as we get back. Bye," she called, already winded from her long list of instructions before Kankurou opened the door and they disappeared into the darkness outside.

Lightning flashed and lit up the sky just before the door slammed shut and Gaara was certain that he saw Yumi's eyes light up in the exact same way. She turned to him, brimming with excitement suddenly, "Guess I should do what Michiko-san suggested."

"I'll help," Gaara responded, unsure of when he'd made the decision to do so.

Yumi smiled and even her smile was wider - anticipation of the storm was really affecting her. "Okay! Well how about you set the table while I get the food out and put it into dishes?"

Gaara nodded and they entered the kitchen, silently undertaking their tasks. Gaara began to remove plates, cutlery and place mats from a cupboard in the centre of the room while Yumi moved through the kitchen, searching for containers large enough to hold the dishes that they'd made.

Yumi managed to transfer all of the food into new dishes without incident - until she got to the soup, that is. She tip-toed in front of an open cupboard, trying to reach the soup tureen which was coincidentally located on the top shelf, one hand holding on to the counter for balance and the other flailing in the air just below the high shelf.

She froze as she sensed another presence behind her. Suddenly Gaara's arm appeared just next to hers, easily grabbed hold of the bowl and brought it down. Yumi turned slightly, maneuvering just enough so that she could see his face and it was then that she realized just how close he was to her. She was caught, boxed in by his arms - the one holding the bowl and the other which was so near to her own on the counter that they were practically touching. Unused to the close proximity, she had to force herself to breathe normally.

He held the bowl out to her and she took it, managing to breathe out a 'thank you' in the process. Their fingers brushed as she wrapped hers around the bowl and a shock, similar to the ones that she often delivered herself, ran through her but this one had much more to do with the disarming male eyeing her than with chakra.

She waited for him to move away and return to what he was doing but he didn't - he continued standing there, his jade eyes boring into her. Eager to get out of this situation - afraid of what would happen if she didn't, she spoke, "Kazekage-sama, I think that we should..." but trailed off as their eyes met and a second shock ran through her, much stronger than the first.

She took a deep breath and unwittingly, moved closer to him. She wanted to reach out and touch him, caress his cheek but she forced herself to hold back because surely that wouldn't be right. There were a million things running through her head all at once but surprisingly she was actually listening to her common sense, which until then she'd thought no longer existed, which was screaming at her to _'Stop!' _

"You think that we should what?" Gaara responded, his low yet penetrating voice effectively drowning out the already soft voice of reason and his darkened eyes trapping her even further. She tightened her hold on the counter to prevent herself from moving again but his eyes - they were like quicksand and she could feel herself giving in. Quickly she closed her eyes to try to gather her thoughts and then she opened them again just as quickly, afraid of how he would interpret the action - he might think she wanted him to kiss her and she didn't...right?

They remained like that for she didn't know how long, suspended in this - this thing that always seemed to happen around them, between them. Finally Gaara made up his mind and started forward again...

...but stopped when he heard the front door slam. A shout of "Hey you two, we're back," came from the hallway. Stepping back instantly, Yumi inwardly breathed a sigh of relief at the sound but the way that Gaara's eyes narrowed at the interruption told her that he wasn't quite as grateful as she. Frowning, he moved his hands and stepped back as well but not far enough because when Kankurou and Michiko entered the kitchen, they were still standing too close and Yumi was biting her lip again, a sure sign of nervousness.

Kankurou and Michiko stopped in the doorway, eyeing the other two curiously, then Kankurou, who never seemed to know when to keep his mouth shut, stage whispered, "You know Michiko, I think we might have come back too early."

The glare that Gaara sent him after that comment effectively stifled any laughter which may have followed it. To Yumi's credit, although she coloured at his words, she picked up the joke and responded in kind, "You're wrong, Kankurou-kun. You came back at just the right time." Then she picked up the soup tureen and went over to where the soup was, on top of the stove, making sure not to look in Gaara's direction even though she had to pass right next to him to get there.

Sighing, Michiko grabbed Kankurou by the back of his shirt and dragged him out of the kitchen before he could make any more idiotic statements. Gaara's eyes returned to Yumi but she had her back turned to him, making very slow, deliberate movements as she ladled the soup into the tureen. He didn't know it but she was also taking slow, deep breaths, trying to calm herself after what had just happened. Considering that the moment was now officially gone, he left and headed to the dining room with the intention of glaring his brother to death.

As soon as he left, Yumi stopped moving and relaxed, sighing. She was grateful that Kankurou and Michiko had returned when they did, effectively stopping them before anything happened and she crossed the line that she'd been toeing since she'd arrived. The annoying thing, however, was that all of her wasn't pleased at the interruption - there was a side of her that practically growled in frustration when she heard the door slam and what scared her was just how big a part of her that side was.

* * *

Later that night, after a dinner that everyone expected to be awkward but actually turned out rather enjoyable, Gaara lay in bed, listening to the steady pounding of the rain on the roof. He was also thinking - about several things but mainly about Yumi when something caught his attention. 

The door of the guest room creaked open and Yumi stepped out. She was obviously being deliberately quiet because he had been alerted to her movements not by footsteps but by the creaking of the door. He couldn't say that he was surprised - she had been pacing around her room constantly since she'd retired to it an hour or two earlier. The storm was still raging outside and the continual claps of thunder and flashes of lightning bolts were obviously making her restless.

His ninja instincts helped him to drown out the sound of the rain and focus instead on her quiet footfalls. She moved past his room, pausing for a second longer than necessary at the door, then started to make her way downstairs. When he was sure that she had reached the second floor, he got out of bed and went to the door, opening it just enough to allow him to track her movements further.

She continued downstairs and although he had to strain to hear it, he eventually heard the front door open and close. He stepped back, blinking curiously - she was gone. He considered what to do next, then intrigued, he decided to follow her. He left his room and quietly made his way downstairs as well, unwilling to alert Kankurou or Michiko to his movements, then moved quickly to the front door. At the door, he paused to resign himself to the inevitability of getting drenched, then opened it and disappeared into the night in pursuit of his intended.

Within minutes, he was soaked to the skin and he had to stop just outside the house, squinting through the rain to locate Yumi. He spotted her after a few minutes - she was just rounding a corner and slowly he moved forward and began tailing her. The sand, though wet, still managed to muffle his footsteps and he kept a wide distance between them so that she wouldn't detect his presence.

It occurred to Gaara as he watched her walk through the rain as though it weren't even falling that this was his first time seeing her in her natural element. Thunder and lightning, wind and rain - these were the conditions that she had grown up in and he realized then that for her, being in the midst of this monsoon must make her feel, even for a moment, like she was at home. It was asking a lot - to ask a ninja to give up their homeland and shift their loyalty to a country other than that of their birth. She had a hard time ahead of her, he knew and he felt something akin to guilt then, because well, she didn't even know.

He jerked back to reality when she stopped and he paused, wondering if he had been discovered. When she didn't look around, he realized that she must have reached her destination. He looked around - it was a training ground, a little used one he reckoned by the amount of sand dunes surrounding it and he wondered absently how she had come across it. Wanting to remain hidden, he created a hovel inside one of the dunes and slipped into it, grateful to be sheltered from the rain.

He returned his focus to Yumi just as she finished her last hand seal and just in time to see blue sparks appear at the end of her fingertips. She crouched down then and held her hands out at her sides, then began to spin, slowly at first, then increasing her speed as she straightened up. A look of surprise crossed his features as he recognized that a sphere was slowly being created around her as more blue lines, suspended in mid air, appeared with each turn.

Finally she slowed to a stop in the centre of the sphere and closed her eyes. He frowned - was that all or was she going to do something else? She appeared to be waiting for something. As he thought this, an ear-splitting crash of thunder sounded right overhead and she smiled and slowly opened her eyes. Within them was something he'd never seen before from her - a wild look of exhilaration. Grinning suddenly, she clapped her hands and the sphere disappeared as the blue lines fell to the ground and sunk into the sand. They were no longer visible, yes, but he was sure that they were still there, hidden just beneath the sand.

Yumi raised her hand and ran through another set of hand seals, then on the last one, lightning flashed and a forked lightning bolt hit the ground right around her. There was a magnificent explosion and Gaara had to shut his eyes against the glare as the lightning met the chakra ropes that she had buried in the sand. When he opened his eyes again, the training ground had been transformed as the chakra ropes etched a beautiful design into the ground - he could tell that had it not been raining, fires would be raging where the ropes had been. And there in the centre of it all stood Yumi, untouched by anything but adrenaline, laughing wildly. Her dark eyes, always expressive, were lighter than they had ever been - illuminated by her feelings. Gaara unconsciously moved forward to get a better view of her - now she was beautiful.

Gaara didn't know how long he stayed there, watching as she went through a whole arsenal of techniques, some more potent than others. He would never have believed her capable of harnessing and wielding such a powerful, volatile element if he hadn't seen it for himself. He decided it was time to leave, however, when the sand dune that he'd been concealed in became completely saturated and started to crumble around him. He couldn't properly manipulate the sand since it was wet and if the whole thing collapsed around him, he would be fully visible and then he would have to explain to Yumi just what he was doing there. So, reluctantly, he departed and returned to the house, glad though that he had followed her - now he would see her in a totally different light.

* * *

By the time Yumi returned to the Kazekage's residence, the rain had stopped and the first rays of dawn were appearing. She slipped inside quietly and started to make her way back upstairs, making a mental note to come back and mop up the water that she was trailing into the house before anyone else woke up. 

As she passed through the second floor, she noticed that the door to Kankurou's room was slightly ajar and she could just make out two figures curled up together on the bed. _'I wonder how Michiko-san's mother would have reacted if she had found them like that, or worse yet, Temari-san,'_ Yumi thought, chuckling softly as she continued upstairs to her own room.

She reached the top floor and stopped, debating whether or not to go to the bathroom or her room first_. 'Wait - I have to get clothes to change into,' _she remembered and so she went into the guest room first, making sure to close the door quietly behind her. Imagine her surprise when she started forward and found the Kazekage sitting quite comfortably on the bed, apparently waiting for her.

"Gaara-sama!" she exclaimed, stepping backwards in surprise. To his credit, Gaara did manage to stifle the urge to smirk when he heard her address him familiarly again. Yumi's mind began racing as she tried to figure out just what he was doing there and then she realized just how suspicious it must seem for her to have been out in the middle of the night, all night. "Ano, I can explain where I was. You see with the monsoon, I..."

She stopped speaking when he held up a hand to stop her. Then he rose slowly and started walking toward her at quite a leisurely pace, "You don't need to explain - I told you that I trust you."

"I really wish you'd let me - I'd be glad too, you know, Kazekage-sama," she responded, flushing as she was reminded of his words earlier that week. She wondered if he was really telling the truth. Honestly she wouldn't even blame him for being suspicious at finding her gone - it did look a smidge suspicious. And to make matters worse, he drew still nearer.

"You needn't be so worried, Yumi-san, or so formal." Finally he stopped about an arms' length away from her. "I only came to give you this."

She looked down and saw, for the first time, the towel in his hands. Still unnerved, she took it gingerly from him, "Thank you."

He nodded, then tilted his head to the side slightly, taking one step closer to her, "We were interrupted last night."

Yumi steeled herself against her feelings, keeping her gaze firmly away from his face - from those eyes, "That was a good thing, I think. No, I mean, it _was_ a good thing. I meant what I said to - to Kankurou-kun," she responded, faltering slightly as he stepped forward again.

Determined not to have a repeat of last night, she stepped back to maintain the distance between them and found her back to the door. _'Oh boy,'_ she thought as a smirk appeared on Gaara's face.

When he spoke next, his words were laced with amusement, "Are you sure about that? Because we're alone now and it's unlikely that there will be any interruptions."

Yumi nodded, "Yes, yes. I meant what I said. I appreciated your help but we still shouldn't have been so close to each other."

Gaara raised an eyebrow inquiringly and then suddenly, inexplicably he was right above her and his face was inches away from hers. "Are we too close now?" he whispered. She wanted to say 'definitely' but he didn't give her a chance to reply - just moved forward and caught her lips with his.

* * *

Surprised? Let me know. And remember - a long chapter requires a long review! 

Btw, that whole 'love has two effects on ninjas' thing is not my original idea – It's a summary of a speech from **The Hyuuga Way** by **Edric Loto**. I didn't ask for permission to use the idea so I want to make it obvious that I did not come up with it. Read that fic though - it's AWESOME!


	16. For A Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 16**

Kankurou had been sitting on his bed, tinkering with one of his puppets when Gaara walked in. He looked up, surprised and noted that Gaara made sure to close _and_ lock the door before turning to face him.

They stared at each other for a few minutes, Kankurou seated on the bed and Gaara leaning against the wall, arms folded. Then Gaara spoke, "I'm going to tell her."

Kankurou dropped the wrench in his hand, "What?!"

Gaara's expression remained unchanged, "Today."

Kankurou's own was bewildered, however, "Why?"

Gaara shrugged, nonchalant at a time like this, "I'm tired of trying to keep this from her - it's too much trouble."

Kankurou frowned and started to hastily rise from the bed, "Yeah but Gaara, this isn't just about you - it's about her too."

Gaara gave a small nod of consent, "You're right. That's why I'm telling her - she has a right to know."

Kankurou stopped next to the bed, "Gaara, I really don't think this is a good idea. There's no reason for you to reveal it - "

"I've made up my mind," Gaara cut in. "I will tell her today. I just wanted you to know."

Kankurou sighed and sat back down onto the bed, "All right. What happened?" When a flicker of surprise crossed Gaara's face, he rolled his eyes, "You're not fooling me. Just being fed up can't possibly be the only reason that you're telling her now so what happened?"

Gaara frowned and looked away, his expression betraying a hint of embarrassment. And for some reason, seeing it triggered a rush of affection in Kankurou. _'Sometimes it seems like he's still just a kid,'_ he thought, sighing and shaking his head in defeat, "Never mind - I get it. But you know she's going to be mad, right? In fact, since something's happened between the two of you, she's probably going to be furious."

Gaara turned back to him, the hint of vulnerability already gone, "I understand that she will be upset at first but I'm sure that she will soon grow accustomed to the idea."

Kankurou raised an eyebrow - he wasn't nearly as sure. "Well, if you've made up your mind...Look Gaara, just - don't blurt it out, okay? Ease her into it - explain first, tell her afterward. That way she'll probably be less upset."

Gaara nodded, "I understand."

Kankurou ran his fingers through his hair, "You're really going to do this, huh?"

Gaara nodded again, "Yes."

Kankurou sighed and opened his mouth to speak but Gaara stopped him as the sound of footsteps drifted into the room. "She's coming," Gaara said, "I'll see you later," he added before going over to the door and letting himself out.

"Good luck," Kankurou muttered as he watched him go. He sighed and shook his head once again, _'He has no idea what he's getting himself into."_

* * *

Yumi nearly collided with Gaara as he stepped out of the room. She jumped back in surprise, "Oh, Kazekage-sama! I'm - glad I ran into you."

Gaara blinked,"Why?"

She nodded and bit her lip, "I want to talk to you. I think it's time that we sort ourselves out."

Gaara nodded, inwardly smirking, "You're right." Then he looked around, "But not here. Come with me," he said before turning around and starting down the stairs.

_'He didn't seem surprised,' _Yumi thought, sighing as she began to mentally prepare herself for what was to come - although, in truth, she didn't have a clue what was really about to happen.

**A/N: So...that probably isn't how you thought that chapter would go...and you're probably staring at your screen with murderous intent, fingers itching to write a long review telling me off for letting THIS be the follow-up to chapter 15. Let me just say two things first - I'M REALLY SORRY! (the next chapter will be loads better - and longer) and please refrain from using profanity. Thank you and good night!**


	17. Secrets and Lies

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 17**

"Kazekage-sama," Yumi said as she sped up to keep up with Gaara's smooth, even steps, "I understand that you don't want to talk at home but do we really have to go so far?" She continued, holding her robes higher so that the lingering water from the flood wouldn't wet them.

"We're going to my office."

Yumi blinked, puzzled, "Why?"

Gaara paused for a moment, waiting until she caught up to him and then resumed walking (at a slightly reduced pace), "There's something I want to show you."

Yumi remained silent the rest of the way, mulling over his words while trying to figure out what she was going to say to him when they arrived at their destination.

Finally, they reached the Kazekage's building and Gaara let them in, then he led Yumi through the maze of corridors. However instead of stopping at his office like she'd expected, he continued to lead her all the way to the roof. They reached the top just as the sun began to set in the west, blanketing the expanse in front of them in golden light and causing the buildings of Suna to look as though they were glowing red.

"What did you want to show me?" Yumi asked as she stepped out onto the roof.

Gaara turned and beckoned her closer, then turned back to the glorious sunset, "This."

Yumi's eyes widened as she took in the sight before her and she began to walk forward, instantly mesmerized. She'd seen the sun set on Suna before but never like this - from up here, the sight was incredible.

Gaara watched her closely, noting the awestruck expression on her face. He was pleased, having received just the reaction he'd wanted.

Yumi continued to walk forward until she was at the edge of the roof and then, instead of stopping as he'd expected, she climbed up onto the thin ledge of the roof, eyes still on the sunset. Gaara's eyes widened in concern - didn't she know how dangerous that was? One good gust of wind and she could totter to the ground far, far below.

He stepped forward and was behind her in a matter of seconds, "Yumi-san, it isn't safe up there."

For the first time since she'd seen the sunset, Yumi turned away; in fact, she turned all the way around to face him, a mischievous grin on her face, "Don't worry. If there's one thing no Cloud-nin is afraid of, it's falling."

Gaara didn't respond at first, dumbstruck as he took in the way that the last rays of sun glinted off of her blond hair - he had never before realized just how many colours it held. Bathed in the light of the sun like that, her hair resembled the sand behind her. Absently, he wondered if that was a good omen.

Then he caught himself and proceeded to frown at Yumi's back - she had turned around again to watch as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon. Gaara humoured her until the sun was gone, then he reached up, slipped one arm around her waist and the other behind her knees and picked her up.

In response to the bewildered look she gave him, he simply said, expression stolid as ever but his voice quiet and sincere, "Regardless, I don't want you to fall."

Yumi nodded slowly, then looked down, embarrassed (but secretly flattered), "You can put me down now."

Gaara placed her gently down but didn't move away. She moved back a little and then said, "Why - why did you want me to see this?"

He looked away from her, back to the desert which was quickly beginning to grow dark. All over the Sand, lights began to appear in the little, port-hole shaped windows of the houses. "I want you to see that the desert can be beautiful."

Yumi frowned - time to get to the bottom of things, "Why? Why does it matter what I think?"

Kankurou's advice floated in Gaara's head but he chose to ignore it, "Because this will soon be your home."

Yumi took a startled step backward, "What? I don't understand."

Now he looked at her, catching her eyes and holding her gaze evenly, "We're to be married - it's part of the peace treaty."

He saw her sharp intake of breath, the simultaneous widening of her eyes, then she turned away, head down and all he saw was the back of her. Yumi took a few, uncertain steps away from him, towards the wall, her mind reeling as she tried to catch her breath.

Gaara waited for her to speak...and waited...and waited. When a significant amount of time had passed, he stepped toward her, "Yumi-san?"

Still turned away, she held up a hand to stop him. Then all of a sudden, she turned back to him quickly - he could barely see her features in the darkness but he could see her eyes clearly - they were bright and dangerous, just like her element and Gaara was suddenly glad that the monsoon had already passed because she certainly seemed mad enough at the moment to use one of those powerful, lightning based techniques on him.

She took a deep breath, then spoke, the light, musical quality in her voice gone, replaced now by anger, "You mean to tell me that we - me and you - we are _engaged_ and no one told me? Did it even occur to you that I might want to know that I'm _getting married_?!"

Gaara felt that he needed to choose his next words wisely, "Your father - " He didn't get any further though because Yumi interrupted him, somehow managing to sound even angrier, "My father, "she scoffed, "I should have known. He suggested you not tell me, right?" She asked and the sparks that flashed near her fingertips didn't escape his attention.

"Yes."

"Did he say why?" she asked, her voice edged with bitterness.

"He said that it would be easier for us to get to know each other if you didn't know, that you would then be your genuine self while here."

_'And you believed that?' _Yumi thought, rolling her eyes but it went unseen in the darkness.Then something that Gaara said struck a chord with her, "Wait so this trip - it's not really a diplomatic mission, is it? We're not getting married _right now_, are we?!" She asked, alarm interlaced in her voice.

Gaara shook his head, unable to stop himself from feeling offended, "It's just to allow us to get to know each other before the wedding. It will take place once you return to Suna permanently."

_'Thank goodness,'_ Yumi thought, slumping against the ledge of the roof in relief. Then an image popped into her head and she turned back to him, "You kissed me. Why?"

His eyes clouded in confusion, "What do you mean - why?"

"I mean, did that happen because you feel something for me or...was that just an attempt to get me to like you?"

"I don't need to make you like me - you already do."

Yumi wasn't sure which enraged her more - the frankness with which he'd spoken or the truth which his statement contained, "Oh well, I'm glad that I'm so transparent! Let me rephrase that then - did you kiss me because you have feelings for me or were you just trying it out, I don't know, to see what it'd be like once we get married?"

Gaara was taken aback by the venom in her words - she was much angrier than he'd anticipated, "There is no need for you to - "

"Answer me!" she cut in, all formalities dropped in her rage. Although she was more hurt than anything.

Gaara frowned, "I...don't know exactly." He did have some feelings for her, yes, but he wasn't quite sure what they were yet and so he certainly wasn't ready to attempt putting them into words.

"You don't know exactly? You don't know?!" She took a deep breath and then turned away, "I can't believe this - I'm so stupid. I just - I thought - I have to go," she said, turning and starting off in the direction of the doorway.

"Wait," Gaara called out.

She paused but didn't turn back, "What?"

"I'm not finished."

"I don't want to hear it," she replied, recommencing her movement.

Gaara didn't intend to just let her go, however, not until she heard what he had to say. So he stepped forward and grabbed her arm, then pulled her back to him, "Listen to me."

Yumi wasn't having it - she looked from him to his hand on her arm in disbelief. "Let go of me," she spoke slowly and deliberately but there was a warning in her words.

"No. Not until you promise to listen."

"I don't want to listen! I don't care what you have to say," she shouted, grateful that it was too dark for him to see her face, to see her tears.

Gaara's eyes found hers, "You _will_ stay and you _will_ listen."

Without even thinking about it, she reached out and wrapped her hand around his wrist, then sent her chakra into it, delivering a temporarily debilitating shock to it. He immediately let go, clutching his hurt wrist to his chest and she pulled her arms backward but instead of leaving straight away, she stepped closer to him, "You listen - you lied to me and you manipulated me. Right now I don't even want to see you, let alone hear what you have to say. I'm leaving - don't try to stop me."

Those were her last words to him before she turned and stormed out.

**A/N: **So my beta asked if I was going to wait until my hiatus is over to post this. I considered it but I thought it'd be too mean. So Chapter 17's up - I hope you enjoyed it!

Thank you to all of my readers, favouriters and alerters - it's always appreciated.


	18. One is the Loneliest Number

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 18**

Yumi subconsciously slammed the door as she entered her bedroom. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, she wanted to yell, preferably at someone. All these conflicting thoughts were starting to give her a head-ache and she threw herself onto her bed and buried her face into a pillow. There were a million things running through her head - Gaara's words about the engagement, her reaction on the rooftop and most of all, that _'I don't know'._

"How can you not know if you like someone?" she muttered into the fabric of the pillow. _'It certainly didn't seem like he wasn't sure this morning,'_ she thought, closing her eyes as the memory of the kiss came back to her.

_She wasn't sure how long it lasted, that kiss but she didn't want it to end. It was simple, sweet and unhurried and when they finally moved away from each other, Yumi found that her hands were wrapped around the front of his robes, pulling him closer to her._

_She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest - she didn't want to say anything, didn't want to think about anything, afraid that it would spoil that bliss that she was feeling and dispel the unique, heady feeling that seemed to be filling her mind._

_He remained silent too, one arm on her waist and the other on her shoulder. Finally she opened her eyes and looked up at him. She opened her mouth to speak, not quite sure what she was about to say but he stopped her with a look. So she remained silent, holding his gaze and smiling faintly. _

_His lips held the hint of a smile as he reached up and stroked her cheek lightly, affectionately, then he moved closer to her once again and quietly uttered, "Good morning," before moving away and leaving the room. She watched him go, then went over to the bed and having long since forgotten about changing, dropped down onto it in the same position that she was currently occupying, a single thought running through her head, _'Why is he doing this to me?'

_'Well, at least now I know,' _Yumi thought as she turned over and stared up at the ceiling. She sighed and then started to run through all of the interactions she'd had with Gaara since she'd arrived in Suna and with each memory, she started to become more and more annoyed, this time with herself.

"_How could I not have suspected that something was up? This whole situation has been odd ever since I arrived here,"_ she thought when she was done. _"I'm such an idiot,"_ she thought, rolling over and burying her face in her pillow once again, _'Some ninja I am - I never suspected anything! I never think – Nii-san always says it, Tou-san always says it and as usual, they're right. This is precisely why all the elders think I'm a screw-up.'_

Yumi didn't leave her room for the rest of the night – opting to stay in bed and bury herself in self-deprecating thoughts and painful memories.

And across town, the Kazekage stayed in his building until way into the night, sitting on the roof and staring down at his village, reminding himself of all the ways that this arranged marriage would benefit his people.

**A/N: Thank you to all my reviewers, favouriters and alerters - I appreciate all of your support. The next chapter should be up soon.**


	19. Depth Perception

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 19**

Yumi sat inside an empty classroom at the Academy, staring blankly out of the window. _'I can't stand those stupid, porthole shaped windows,' _she thought dejectedly, _'Back home, our windows are __**square.**'_

Yumi sighed and put her head on the desk - she knew how childish she was behaving but she couldn't help it - ever since Gaara had revealed the news of the engagement to her, she had been overwhelmed by feelings of homesickness and had begun comparing different aspects of Kumo and Suna as a result.

Yumi raised her head as her stomach grumbled loudly - it was lunchtime and most of the kids had gone home. She exhaled slowly and then lifted herself out of her chair - time for lunch.

After informing Yuko that she was just going to grab a bite to eat, Yumi exited the Academy and was simultaneously blinded by the glare of the sun and assaulted by the sweltering noon day heat. She sighed before starting off down the street, grumbling, "It's never this hot at home."

Yumi became distracted almost as soon as she started walking down the nearly deserted street With the newfound knowledge of her pending permanent change of address, Yumi had found herself paying close attention to everything about this village - suddenly she was fascinated by the workings of this place that would soon be her home, as the Kazekage so eloquently put it.

She wandered through the streets, her plan to find a restaurant and have a quick lunch forgotten, her eyes roaming over each building she passed - they were almost identical and they reminded her, for some reason, of fingers reaching up out of the sand. She paid no mind to the sand that passed by with each new gust of wind, having already gotten used to finding it in every layer of her clothing.

As much as she wanted to be home right now, Yumi _was_ trying to find the good in Suna, trying to find something that meant that she wouldn't wish to be home every day that she was here. There had to be something appealing about all this sand and sandstone, something attractive in the drab, dull coloured outer robes that she would now have to wear permanently, something fascinating in the way that the sun was harsh and inescapable. There was _something _good here, right?

Yumi stopped wandering only when the sun became unbearable, and upon looking around, found herself in a street full of unfamiliar buildings. She looked around quickly for the nearest entryway. To her delight and relief, she spotted a bakery (_'Food!' _Her stomach grumbling had come back with a vengeance) which was thankfully open for business.

Yumi made a beeline for the door and ducked into the shop, sighing in relief as she left the oppressive heat of the desert's sun outside.

"Can I help you, dear?"

Yumi didn't even realize that her eyes were closed until she opened them and a stocky, matronly looking woman came into view, "Yes, uh, good day, I'd like to get something," she said, advancing toward the counter and the glass display case, "What do you have?"

The woman smiled pleasantly and showed Yumi everything available - cakes, cupcakes, pastries, pies and all the rest. _'At least they have decent food,' _Yumi thought as she immediately began listing the different items that she wanted. She had just finished ordering when she heard footsteps approaching.

"Okaa-san, here are the rest of the cheese r..." Michiko trailed off as she entered the room and saw Yumi there. "Yumi! Hi."

Yumi smiled sheepishly - she'd kind of been avoiding Kankurou and Michiko since she'd found out. "Hello Michiko-san."

Michiko's mother looked between the two women and then promptly said, "Ano, I'll be right back. You'll ring up her purchases, right Michiko-chan?"

Yumi noted that Michiko didn't look particularly thrilled at the prospect but she nodded nonetheless. When her mother was gone, Michiko placed the tray of pastries that she'd been holding on to the bottom shelf of the display case, then straightened up and turned her gaze on Yumi. She opened her mouth to speak.

"Before you say anything, let me just apologize," Yumi stated, "I shouldn't have avoided you and Kankurou-kun. I understand why you guys couldn't tell me but I still felt...weird," she finished, looking down at her hands.

Michiko looked startled for a moment, then her expression softened, "Don't apologize - I can understand you being upset with us."

Yumi smiled and the tension in the room slowly started to dissipate like the steady stream of sand in an hourglass. Michiko started to ring up her things, cashing the items faster than Yumi could keep track, "So what brings you here? This isn't close to the Academy."

"Yeah," Yumi replied, the sheepishness coming back full force, "I got distracted while walking and ended up here."

"Do you know how to get back?"

"Retrace my steps?"

The two women laughed and then Michiko said, "Well, I'll walk you back - if you don't mind, that is."

"Oh, no - that would be great. I'd really appreciate it."

Michiko nodded and turned to the doorway from which she'd emerged, "Kaa-san?"

Michiko's mother bustled into the room, smiling brightly at Yumi and her daughter, "Yes, Michiko-chan?"

"I'm just going to go and show Yumi back to the Academy, okay?"

Her mother nodded good-naturedly, "You go on, love, I'll be fine here."

"Okay, well, I'll be back soon," Michiko replied as she moved over to the other side of the counter and picked up Yumi's bags. She handed one to Yumi and kept the other in her hands.

Yumi smiled and bowed to Michiko's mother, "Good-bye, uh..."

"Mahiru. And you are?"

"Yumi Saionji."

A flash of recognition appeared in Mahiru's eyes and Yumi felt a knot form in her stomach, "Of course! You're the Raikage's daughter."

Yumi smiled, relieved - of course that's how she knew her, "Yes. That's me."

"Oh well, it was very nice of you to patronize us. Good-bye, Saionji-san," Mahiru said, bowing deeply.

Yumi nodded, then followed Michiko out into the street, grimacing a little as the heat enveloped her once again. They began walking in silence, Michiko supporting one of Yumi's bags and Yumi nibbling on a cupcake.

"So how do you feel?"

"Hot," Yumi replied, her mouth full of cup-cake.

Michiko laughed, "I mean about the engagement."

"Oh, that." Yumi remained silent for a few minutes, thinking, then continued, "Well, honestly, I don't really have a problem with arranged marriages, I mean, my parents had one and they were happy. And my mother always told me that if I wasn't chosen as Papa's successor that I might end up in one so...I guess I'm not really surprised. What bothers me is that my father felt that he couldn't trust me enough to tell me about it and that he made Gaara-sama keep it from me as well. It just makes me feel like a fool."

Michiko smiled sympathetically, "I'm sorry. If it helps, I know that Gaara-sama didn't want you to be kept in the dark - he only did it because it was your father's wish."

Yumi scoffed, "Well, I'm not mad at him for that anymore. Now I'm just upset about what he said."

Michiko glanced at her, curious, "What's that?"

"He said that he didn't know how he felt about me. He _kissed_ me but he doesn't know how he feels about me. I mean, you don't do those things if you don't like someone! Or at least, you shouldn't," she added, biting her cupcake viciously.

Michiko's gaze was full of compassion. She remained quiet, thinking furiously, then said, "Yumi-chan, how much do you know about Gaara-sama?"

Yumi turned to her, "What do you mean?"

Michiko sighed and hoped that she was doing the right thing, "I mean, before you came here, what did you know about him?"

Yumi chewed quietly for a few seconds, swallowed, then said, "Well, my brother really admires him so I knew a lot about his policies and stuff like that. I also knew that he was appointed at fifteen and that he was the son of the Fourth Kazekage. That's pretty much it, I think. Why?" She finished, looking expectantly at Michiko.

"Well, Kazekage-sama, he," she paused, trying to think how best to say what she wanted to, "he's very inexperienced when it comes to - to personal things so you really shouldn't hold what he said against him. He really doesn't know what he's doing right now - he's not very social."

Yumi frowned, "That doesn't seem like a very good excuse."

Michiko sighed, "There's - there's just a lot you don't know about him and if you did, what he said would be a lot easier for you to understand."

Yumi didn't respond and Michiko decided to back-track before she said something she might end up regretting. "You know what? Just forget it - what I'm trying to say is, he's really not trying to hurt you or use you or anything like that. He means well - really."

Yumi sighed and looked away, staring at the buildings that they passed. After a long while, she spoke, "Michiko-san, do you think I'm wrong? To be upset?"

"No, I don't. I get where you're coming from. You have a right to be upset." She paused for a moment, then added, "Have you talked to him - since he told you?"

"Well, we speak." After witnessing the look that Michiko gave her, she rolled her eyes, "No, we haven't spoken - not about that, anyway."

"Well, I know it'll be difficult but I really think that you should give him a chance, just let him explain himself - that's all. I mean you don't have to take my advice but...think about it, okay?"

Yumi nodded, scoffing quietly, "Look at you - trying to get me to act responsible and 'do the right thing' and all that. This is why I don't have older friends."

Michiko laughed, "When you say it like that, you make me sound so old!"

Yumi laughed a little herself, "Sorry."

"It's okay," Michiko said, coming to a stop in front of the Academy building, "Here we are."

Yumi looked up, "Oh wow, that was quick. Well, thanks for walking me back - I would probably still be looking if I'd tried to find my way back on my own."

Michiko smiled and handed her the second bag, "It's no problem. No hard feelings, right?"

Yumi shook her head, "'Course not. I don't hold grudges."

Michiko raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

Yumi rolled her eyes and glanced at the Academy building, "I'll think about it."

"Good. Well, I'll see you," Michiko said as she started down the street.

"Bye!" Yumi responded, waving until Michiko rounded a corner and disappeared. Then she turned and started to make her way into to the Academy, _'Guess I've got some thinking to do.'_

* * *

The next day, around lunch-time, Yumi found herself standing outside the door to the Kazekage's office. She knocked quietly and then entered when she heard his quiet "Come in."

Gaara looked up when she entered and she saw a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He put down his pen and sat up, giving her his full attention, "Yumi-san."

She took a deep breath but didn't look away, meeting his inquisitive gaze head on, "So...I was thinking I'd take you up on that rain check today."

**A/N: Hi! I want to apologize for the length of the last chapter - I certainly hope this one makes up for it. Also you guys should know that I've got exams starting in a few weeks so I'm hoping to get Chapters 20 and 21 up before that and then, well we'll see. Thank you for all of the reviews, alerts and favourites - they really make me feel bien! Thanks for reading!**


	20. For Today, You're Only Here To Know

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 20**

**For Today, You're Only Here To Know**

_'She's quiet,' _Gaara thought, _'too quiet.'_

Yumi had been silent since she'd entered his office and said her piece and she had remained silent all the way from his office, through the streets and into the private room at the restaurant that he'd taken her to.

She was silent now - just sitting across from him, playing listlessly with her food, taking small nibbles now and again and then putting the piece of food back and letting out a small, depressed sigh.

Gaara frowned - he didn't like her like this, not at all - and that wasn't even the worst part. No, _that_ would definitely have to be her eyes and the lack of emotion that he saw there. Instead of the intriguing, expressive orbs that he'd come to appreciate, her eyes were hard, cold and impenetrable - much like his, in fact. He'd never seen them like this before, not even when she'd attempted to distance herself from him after they had almost kissed months ago.

It was torturous...and disconcerting.

"Well," Yumi said, finally breaking the silence and throwing him off, "are you going to talk or are just going to stare at me all day?"

Her voice was soft but there was an edge to it. _'So she's still angry,'_ Gaara thought. His frown deepened - wasn't she ever going to let up? What he'd done wasn't _that_ bad.

"What do you want to know?" he replied, trying (fairly successfully) to keep the irritation out of his voice.

She let out another sigh but she met his eyes this time, "Has your answer changed?" When his expression registered nothing but confusion, she elaborated, "Do you have feelings for me or do you still not know?"

For the first time in quite some time, her eyes changed as some emotion flitted through them. Gaara couldn't recognize it and so he felt nothing but relief - at least that meant they weren't stuck that way. She continued watching him expectantly.

"Yes," he said, "I do...have feelings for you," he responded finally, blatantly uncomfortable with expressing his emotions so plainly - it wasn't something he was used to.

And yet instead of looking pleased as he'd expected, her eyes grew even harder and her mouth drew into a thin line, "If you're just saying that - " she started.

"I don't _just say _anything," he cut in, unable to keep the impatience out of his voice as his own eyes deepened to a darker green. "I may have kept something from you in the past but I am not lying now," he continued, catching her eyes and holding them as he spoke, his last words slow and deliberate.

She drew back, clearly surprised by his anger, then her eyes narrowed, "I don't see why you're so upset - I'm the one who was lied to!"

"Yes," he responded brusquely, "I lied to you - and I am sorry for that. Now I would appreciate it if you would stop acting like a victim and throwing tantrums like a child!"

She sat up straighter, the hardness in her eyes moving to her back as the orbs reflected both anger and hurt. "Do not do that," she retorted slowly, a warning in her tone, "do not talk _down_ to me. I am not a child and I do not appreciate being treated as such_,_" she pronounced, her eyes taking on, for the first but certainly not the last time, the inky black hue of a moonless night.

He must have hit a nerve, he concluded, because she was obviously livid.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, attempting to pacify her - after all, the point of this lunch was to clear things up, not make them worse. "I wasn't trying to insult you. I was just angry that you doubted my sincerity."

Yumi took a deep breath to calm herself and leaned back in her seat once again, shaking her head slightly, "I'm sorry too - I shouldn't have gotten so upset. I just - ," she looked as though she meant to elaborate but then she shut her mouth and shook her head. "It's just difficult for me to believe you - you must understand why." Her eyes had returned to their usual colour.

"I do," he responded, "but what _you_ need to understand is that I am not a liar. I meant the things I said to you - I mean them now."

"Then why did you do this? Why did you go along with my father's stupid plan?"

He held her gaze. "Because I trusted him. He _is_ your father and I figured that he knew you better than I did and that he knew what he was doing. I was uncertain and I found it odd, yes, but I trusted him. I regret that now," he said quietly, looking down, for the first time, at his untouched food.

Yumi struggled inwardly - she wanted to believe him but there was still so much she didn't know. "What did he say to you? I mean, what could be _that_ convincing? Because what you said wouldn't be enough for me," she said, eyeing Gaara questioningly.

"That wasn't all he said," he answered, looking up at her, "Before that - when he'd first proposed the marriage and said that he wanted you to come here and get to know me - he said a lot of things - that he wanted you to be happy on your wedding day, that he didn't want you to marry a stranger. I thought he meant those things. I still do," he concluded.

She looked away, blinking rapidly - she could hear the words, hear her father saying them - and angry as she was, she was sure he'd meant them too.

"And you didn't see his face," Gaara continued, "when he asked me not to tell you - he was adamant. I felt it was the right thing to do at the time."

"So why did you break that oath then? Why did you tell me, _now,_ after all this time has passed?"

"When I made that promise, I hadn't met you, lived with you or worked with you. As soon as you arrived, I realized how difficult keeping it from you would be and as we grew closer," he continued, eyeing her meaningfully, "I began to feel guilty and uncomfortable about it. So I told you - not just because it was the right thing to do but because you mean something to me, Yumi. Do you understand now?" he asked, holding her gaze.

Her eyes were wide and surprised and within her, something was melting. She couldn't doubt his sincerity now.

"Yes. I understand. I understand completely," she responded, "Thank you then - for telling me. It _was_ the right thing to do," she assured him, sincerity in her eyes and all traces of her anger gone.

"Good," Gaara replied, "I'm pleased that you think so. I wanted to make sure you felt that way before I sent the letter."

"What letter?"

"I'm writing to your father to explain why I told you. He needs to know."

"Wha - ? No, you can't tell him!" she practically shouted.

"Why not?"

"He can't know. I - I want to be the one to tell him that I know."

Gaara frowned as an image of that night on the roof flashed before his eyes. "Why?" he asked, suspicious.

She smiled, trying (and failing) to look innocent. "It would be better coming from me. That way, he can see how well I took it."

Another image of that night - namely the one of her shocking him. So she wanted to give him a piece of her mind...well, that was fine with him. "All right," Gaara responded, "I'll send the letter with you then. Be sure to give it to him."

"I will," she said, flashing him the first smile he'd seen from her in weeks. Then she looked down at her food and picked up her fork once again, preparing to dig in - she suddenly felt ravenous. "Well then, let's eat," she said, plunging her fork into her defenseless piece of chicken.

Gaara nodded and followed suit.

**A/N: Hola! I have returned. I'm very, very sorry you guys that I went so long without updating. It was terrible of me but I'm back now and I've got several more chapters written so they should be up soon. I'm telling you from now though - they're all going to be around this length so please don't complain that they're too short - I'm spacing them out, okay?**

**That said, thanks for reading and I always welcome reviews, suggestions, comments, favourites, anything except le flames. Adios!**


	21. You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side

**An Unknown Engagement**

**Chapter 21**

**You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side**

Yumi looked up as a knock sounded on the front door. She put down her book, hopped off of the couch and went to open it.

"Michiko-san - hi!" Yumi said, smiling widely as soon as she recognized the figure in front of her.

"Hey," Michiko responded, hesitating in the doorway.

"Ah, Kankurou-kun's not here, you know - he's..."

"On a mission. I know," Michiko replied, her smile growing, "I came to see you."

Yumi's expression changed to one of surprise and she subconsciously tilted her head to the side, "Oh? How come?"

"Well," Michiko began, "I'm going shopping and I thought you might want to come along."

A gentle smile graced Yumi's face, "That's so nice of you. Thanks," she responded gratefully, stepping immediately out of the residence.

Michiko looked slightly surprised, "You're ready to go? You don't have anything to do first?"

Yumi shook her head. "No, I don't intend to do any shopping - not today anyway."

"Hmm. Well then, let's go," Michiko said, turning and starting down the quiet street. Yumi followed suit and caught up to her in no time. "So," Yumi started, turning to look at her, "what are you looking for?"

"Fabric."

"Fabric?" Yumi questioned, her face contorting to reflect her confusion, "For what?"

"My wedding dress."

Yumi stopped dead, "Your what?"

Michiko turned back to her, her face puzzled. "My...wedding dress," she tried again.

Yumi stared at her for a few minutes, a myriad of expressions flitting across her face before she settled on a bright, happy one. Unexpectedly she launched herself at Michiko, wrapping her arms tightly around her. "Oh, Michiko-san!" Yumi murmured, squeezing her tightly, "I'm so flattered that you would ask me to help you with something so important. I'm honoured, really," she continued, nodding her head emphatically as she released her and stepped back.

The puzzlement on Michiko's face had increased by several degrees. "Well," she started slowly, "I appreciate the enthusiasm but it's really not that big of a deal. We're just going to pick out some fabric."

"How can you say that?!" Yumi responded, clearly outraged, "Your wedding is one of the most important events of your life and the gown that you choose to wear on that day has to be something special, something that will stand the test of time."

The look that Michiko was giving her said that she clearly thought her insane. "Gown?!" She took a deep breath, "Okay, let's get something straight here - weddings are _not _big affairs here in Suna and the truth is that Kankurou didn't even want us to have one. I had to promise to keep it simple just to get him to agree to it."

"Not have a wedding?" Yumi seemed incapable of comprehending the idea. "How...how is that possible?"

"It's very possible," Michiko replied, "and normal. In fact, it's pretty common for people to not even have weddings here. Usually they just go to the Kazekage's office, sign their marriage license and then have some sort of formal dinner or something afterwards to celebrate."

Michiko became aware of something as soon as she finished speaking - the outrage that Yumi had been exhibiting seemed to have morphed into depression and the exuberance that she had embodied just moments before seemed to have drained away.

"Yumi-san?" Michiko asked, touching her tentatively.

"So...what does that mean for me? Am_ I _going to have a wedding?"

Michiko faltered, unsure of how to respond. It seemed sensible to her that with the nature of their marriage, there should be some sort of commitment ceremony but she couldn't be sure - they _were_talking about Gaara-sama here. She considered side-stepping the question but one look at Yumi's downcast face told her that wouldn't be possible.

"Well, I don't really know but it's possible. Since it's an arranged marriage, you guys should have some sort of ceremony - to cement things, I guess. I suggest you talk to Gaara-sama and let him know how you feel about this."

Yumi nodded slowly but her sour mood didn't change.

Michiko frowned, "I'm confused - why...is this so important to you?"

Yumi finally looked up at her, sighing quietly, "Well, weddings are pretty important back home - very serious, very traditional and practically mandatory. They're seen as big celebrations of love and family and commitment and everyone gets involved and everyone helps out. It's one of the aspects of our culture that I really love. And I...well, I didn't really _expect_ to find anyone who would marry me but that didn't stop me from imagining the kind of wedding I would have if I did. It's kind of...a dream of mine, I guess, a stupid one, I know but - "

"It's not stupid," Michiko interjected, "It's not. I know how you feel."

"You do?" Yumi asked, raising her eyebrows slightly in surprise.

"Yeah," she nodded, "I do. Like I said, weddings are fairly rare here and so our having one is kind of unusual. Kankurou doesn't really care either way but this is something I really want to do. I tried to explain to him that just signing a piece of paper in the Kazekage's presence isn't going to be enough for me - I want to have this wedding because I know it'll really bring it home for me - that I'm a married woman, I mean," she looked down, smiling sheepishly. "I don't know - am I making any sense or do I just sound like a fool?" Michiko asked, looking up at Yumi apprehensively.

Yumi shook her head vigourously, "No, you don't sound like a fool at all." She smiled, "I think you would have been very at home in Kumo," she pronounced, a wistful look appearing in her eyes.

"Thanks," Michiko responded, smiling back, "it's good to know I'm not alone on this."

The two women shared a brief look of understanding before they resumed walking once more.

"So," Michiko started the conversation this time, "what were you doing at the residence at this hour anyway? Aren't you helping out Kazekage-sama at the office anymore?"

"Yeah, I am," Yumi clarified, "It's just that the wind daimyo's here so Gaara-sama's tied up in meetings. I offered to take care of the paperwork for him but he told me not to bother since everything would need his signature anyway."

"Well, that makes sense," Michiko responded, glancing surreptitiously at Yumi. "And uh, how is everything...with the two of you?"

"Better," she replied positively, "definitely better. Although it's still a little awkward at times - I think, we're still trying to figure out how to act around each other, now that everything's out in the open."

"Don't worry," Michiko assured her, "every relationship has that awkward stage. You guys are still getting to know each other so that's expected. It won't last too long - I promise."

Yumi laughed, "I certainly hope so." They walked on in silence for several minutes before Yumi broke it by voicing a sudden realization. "Wait a minute - if you didn't expect me at the residence, why did you come there looking for me?"

Michiko wore a sheepish grin, "Well, I kind of already knew that you were going to be there. Before he left, Kankurou told me that you'd been coming straight home on afternoons but he didn't say why."

Michiko was so intent on what she was saying that she didn't notice when Yumi tensed. She knew that Michiko meant nothing by it but that 'home' grated on her nerves. She kept quiet about it though, opting to change the subject instead.

"You know I've been wondering why Kankurou-kun's been taking on so many missions lately. It seems like I barely see him these days."

"Don't I know it," Michiko murmured, immediately shaking off any settling melancholy. "He's trying to take on as many missions as possible now so that when we're married, he can request some time off."

"Request?"

"Of course," Michiko responded matter-of-factly, "Gaara-sama's not one to play favourites - but I thought you would have noticed that by now."

"Oh, I have - I just..." Yumi trailed off, unsure of the best way to reply to Michiko's statement. Instead she took up a different thread, "Is there some sort of quota you have to fill?"

Michiko shook her head, "No, there isn't but if you take a lot of missions, you're entitled to a little vacation time. Kankurou's hoping for just an extra week or two."

"Extra?" Yumi asked, glancing questioningly at Michiko.

Michiko nodded, "Yep. Ironically, despite the fact that weddings aren't the norm here, honeymoons kind of are. So shinobi are entitled to two weeks vacation leave after they get married. It's optional, of course but...most people take it."

Yumi looked away, squinting slightly in the sun. "Two weeks' vacation," she echoed. "Might I ask why?" she said, obviously apprehensive.

Michiko glanced at her, one eyebrow raised in surprise, "Yumi-chan. Do you really have to ask why?"

Yumi coloured slightly and then let out a low groan, "Yeah. That's what I was afraid of."

Michiko chuckled at the other girl's reaction but didn't comment, just turned right and started down a narrower, shadier street.

"But," Yumi said, lowering her voice conspiratorially, "you guys don't really _need_ that, right? I mean you - you've done that before, right?"

There was a prolonged period of silence on Michiko's end. Yumi started to backtrack as soon as she saw that no reply was forthcoming - aware that she'd crossed a line. "Forget it - you don't have to answer that. I kind of...just got carried away."

Michiko shook her head slightly, "It's okay," she muttered, "We haven't done that actually - I wanted to wait and he went along with it. It's been quite difficult for him," she concluded, getting a far away look in her eyes.

Yumi nodded, somewhat surprised by this information. Interesting...

Still, this wasn't something she wanted to dwell on. She searched for a way to change the subject. "So how come you're not doing that mission thing too? I mean, there's no guarantee that you'll get an extra week off."

Michiko smiled, "I'm not usually assigned regular missions. I specialize in espionage so my mission assignments tend to be more sporadic. Unfortunately, they also tend to last longer."

Yumi's expression instantly became sympathetic, "Oh, that could be a problem," she murmured, "My father always refused to give me undercover missions because he thought that there was no way that I would be able to keep my identity a secret for an extended period of time. I used to be so angry with him for not having enough faith in me but now I'm starting to see what he means."

Michiko chuckled, "Well if it makes you feel better, I didn't always do them. I started around the time that the whole thing happened with Kazuma. It gave me a chance to feel normal for awhile since I pretty much got to be somebody else. After that, I guess I just sort of developed a knack for them."

Yumi nodded, _'Well, at least something good came out of it,' _she thought.Then she looked around, frowning slightly, "Um, Michiko-san, where is this fabric place anyway? It feels like we've been walking for awhile."

Michiko chuckled, "Funny you should ask - we're here," she responded, stopping in front of a large, nondescript building.

"Finally," Yumi replied, chuckling good-naturedly as she and Michiko entered the store.

**A/N: Ok, so despite the fact that my beta and I haven't really talked about this chapter, I decided to upload it anyway since I broke my word about faster updates. I know what I said and I know I didn't live up to it and I'm really sorry. Consider this a peace offering - I certainly hope it's good enough.**

**Fortunately my exams will be over soon so I should be able to work on this some more. No promises though - I don't want it to be like last time. Anyway I'm really interested in hearing your thoughts on this chapter so feel free to drop me a line. By the way, did you guys notice that most of Yumi and Michiko's conversations seem to take place when they're walking?**

**If after I talk to my beta I make any major edits to this chapter, I'll tell you guys in my next Author's Note.**


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